Rio Americano hasn't had much luck against Laguna Creek recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Rio Americano Raiders are taking a road trip to take on the Laguna Creek Cardinals at 4:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Rio Americano took a eight-run defeat the last time they faced off against Cordova, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Rio Americano sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-6 victory over Cordova on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Raiders have posted since March 9, 2024.
Taylor Galbreath was a standout: she scored two runs while going 3-for-3. She also hit a double, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Taylor Bloyed, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Rio Americano hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in eight consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Laguna Creek). They put the hurt on Del Campo with a sharp 14-4 victory on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Cardinals.
Laguna Creek got a massive performance out of Azariah Maddox, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Kate Saxton was another key player, scoring four runs while going 3-for-4.
Laguna Creek's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Rio Americano, their victory ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-8.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Rio Americano hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .352. However, it's not like Laguna Creek struggles in that department as they've averaged .421. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rio Americano suffered a grim 14-4 defeat to Laguna Creek when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Can Rio Americano avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
