The Orange Cove Titans will head out to take on the Strathmore Spartans at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Strathmore will square off against a team with plenty of momentum: Orange Cove extended their winning streak to five on Monday. The Titans put the hurt on Orosi with a sharp 20-1 victory.
Daisy Regalado made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with two RBI.
In other batting news, Orange Cove got a massive performance out of Allyanah Cano, who went 4-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. That's the most hits Cano has posted since April 1st. Natalie Rosas also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Orange Cove was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Orosi only posted a batting average of .176.
Meanwhile, Strathmore hadn't done well against Lindsay recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Spartans never let the Cardinals get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Spartans.
Like Orange Cove, Strathmore also got a great game from a two-way player: Gracie Gillis. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Gillis was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mollie Gillis, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Avery Behrens was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Orange Cove's record now sits at 11-8. As for Strathmore, their record is now 13-6.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Orange Cove hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .360. However, it's not like Strathmore struggles in that department as they've averaged .367. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Orange Cove took their victory against Strathmore in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 21-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Titans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
