Pahranagat Valley is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Awaken Christian is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Panthers will welcome the Lions at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Pahranagat Valley's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. Everything went their way against Mountain View Christian as they made off with a 15-0 win.
Hadee Walch made a big impact no matter where she played. She tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Walch was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alivia Walch, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two triples, three RBI, and two runs. Those two triples gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Mylah Stout, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-1.
Pahranagat Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mountain View Christian only posted an OBP of .100.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last match, Awaken Christian made sure to put some runs up on the board against Sandy Valley on Tuesday. The Lions put the hurt on the Sidewinders with a sharp 18-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the Sidewinders: they've now won four in a row.
Like Pahranagat Valley, Awaken Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Margaux Burney. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Burney has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Awaken Christian got a massive performance out of Natalie Campbell, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, five RBI, and one run. Karleen Tao was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Pahranagat Valley is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 8-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.7 runs over those games. As for Awaken Christian, their win bumped their record up to 9-4.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Pahranagat Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like Awaken Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .358. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pahranagat Valley took their victory against Awaken Christian in their previous meeting back in April of 2019 by a conclusive 16-1 score. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Lions turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
