Taft is 2-8 against O'Connor since March of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Raiders will face off against the Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a six-game winning streak alive.
On Wednesday, Taft needed a bit of extra time to put away Brennan. They skirted past the Bears 4-2.
Camilla Hernandez spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on two hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Taft saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sophia Quiroz, who went 1-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask O'Connor). Their pitcher stepped up to hand Stevens an 18-0 shutout on Wednesday. Considering the Panthers have won nine contests by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Isabella Sierra, who went 2-for-3 with five RBI, one triple, and one run. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Madison Schindler, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and one stolen base.
O'Connor hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in 27 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Taft's record now sits at 13-6. As for O'Connor, their record is now 14-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Taft has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like O'Connor struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Taft might still be hurting after the 15-4 loss they got from O'Connor when the teams last played back in April of 2025. Can the Raiders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
