Canutillo is 0-8 against Eastlake since February of 2015 but things could change on Friday. It'll be a Battle of the Birds when the Eagles duke it out with the Falcons at 2:00 p.m. The last three games Canutillo has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Canutillo will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Ysleta, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. Canutillo won by a run and slipped past Ysleta 8-7. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Eagles have posted since February 18th.
Canutillo's victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Giovanna Navarro, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3. That's the most runs Navarro has posted over her last 12 matchups. Leilani Bliss was another, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, Eastlake never let their opponents score on Thursday. They put the hurt on Hanks with a sharp 17-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Falcons, who have now won nine games by six runs or more so far this season.
Aydenn Estrada looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Eastlake let Isabella Aguilera and Camila Tovar run wild. Aguilera fired off two home runs and seven RBI while going 3-for-3, while Tovar went 3-for-4 with one home run, six RBI, and three runs. Those home runs marked the first that Aguilera launched this season. Another player making a difference was Alexis Garcia, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Eastlake always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hanks only posted an OBP of .188.
Eastlake is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs over those games. Canutillo's victory bumped their record up to 9-6-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Canutillo hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.8 home runs per game. However, it's not like Eastlake struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.5 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Canutillo might still be hurting after the 13-2 loss they got from Eastlake when the teams last played back in March of 2022. Can Canutillo avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
