The Clairemont Chieftains will venture away from home to take on the Hilltop Lancers at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Clairemont's victory against Mira Mesa wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Chieftains had just enough and edged out the Marauders 4-3 on Tuesday. The game snapped a strange streak: the last five times these teams have met, it?s been the away team that?s taken home the W.
Gigi Villalpando spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits.
On the hitting side, Clairemont got a big performance out of Justice Reese, who scored a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Gabriela Santos also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Hilltop made easy work of Montgomery on Monday and carried off an 11-3 win. With that victory, the Lancers brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
Hilltop also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Catherine Vasquez gave up just two earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks.
At the plate, Nevaeh Matos and Olivia Mertz did most of the damage at the plate: Matos went 3-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles, while Mertz scored three runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-4. That's the most hits Mertz has posted since back in March of 2024. Kaylani Sablan was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-5.
Hilltop kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are 4-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Hilltop is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-7-1 record this season. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 10.8 runs. As for Clairemont, the win got them back to even at 7-7.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Clairemont hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .332. However, it's not like Hilltop struggles in that department as they've averaged .326. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Clairemont took their victory against Hilltop when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 9-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Chieftains since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
