Dougherty Valley hasn't had much luck against California recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Wildcats will be playing at home against the Grizzlies at 4:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Dougherty Valley comes in on four and California on three.
Dougherty Valley took a 15-run loss the last time they faced off against Granada, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Wildcats had just enough and edged out the Matadors 6-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Wildcats have posted against the Matadors since April 24, 2018.
Katie Osborn
| 04/15/25 vs Granada | 1 |
| 04/04/25 vs Antioch | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Monte Vista | 1 |
Dougherty Valley saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Katie Osborn, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and one stolen base. Osborn has been hot recently, having posted at least one home run the last three times she's played. Lauren Lohe was another, scoring a run while going 3-for-3.
Osborn wasn't the only one making solid contact: Dougherty Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. The Wildcats are a perfect 8-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, California's hitters rose to the challenge against a Dons pitching crew that boasted an average of only 3.94 runs allowed on Tuesday. The Grizzlies put the hurt on Amador Valley with a sharp 12-2 victory. Considering the Grizzlies have won seven matches by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
California also got a great performance from Audrey Cotton as she tossed 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jayda Crosby, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Emma Golde, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
California pushed their record up to 10-5 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Dougherty Valley, their win bumped their record up to 8-4.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Dougherty Valley hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.7 home runs per game. However, it's not like California struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.4 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
