Saddleback and Santa Ana Valley are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2017, but likely not for long. The Roadrunners will be playing at home against the Falcons at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in Saddleback's favor as the team sits on four straight wins at home while Santa Ana Valley has been banged up by six consecutive losses on the road.
Saddleback came out on top against Santa Ana Valley on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run fourth inning. The Roadrunners put the hurt on the Falcons with a sharp 8-1 victory. That's two games straight that the Roadrunners have won by exactly seven runs.
Brandon Cotoc
| 02/20/25 @ St. Margaret's | 8 |
| 03/18/25 vs Wilson | 4 |
| 02/25/25 @ Westminster | 4 |
| 04/22/25 @ Santa Ana Valley | 1 |
Brandon Cotoc spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on five hits. He has become a key player for Saddleback: the team is 4-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 7-8-1 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Saddleback let Joaquin Cornejo and Anthony Lopez run wild. Cornejo went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs, while Lopez went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases Cornejo has posted since back in March. Jerry Arevalo-Reyes was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Saddleback kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive games.
Saddleback has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 11-9-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Santa Ana Valley, they moved to 4-15 with that victory, which also ended their six-game losing streak.
Santa Ana Valley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Saddleback hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .336. It's a different story for Santa Ana Valley, though, as they've only averaged .171. Will they be able to contain Saddleback's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
