Big Valley Christian will face off against Linden at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Big Valley Christian is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, Big Valley Christian didn't have quite enough to beat Summerville and fell 4-3. The Lions have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Kailey Rivera put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI.
Rivera wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Ella Alavezos, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Linden ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 victory over Calaveras. The win continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the Red Hawks: they've now won three in a row.
Like Big Valley Christian, Linden also got a great game from a two-way player: Katie Schallberger. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out seven over seven innings pitched. Schallberger was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one triple and one run.
In other batting news, Millee Holguin was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high.
Linden pushed their record up to 16-6 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. As for Big Valley Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 10-17.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Big Valley Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. However, it's not like Linden struggles in that department as they've averaged .361. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Big Valley Christian couldn't quite finish off Linden in their previous meeting back in April and fell 8-6. Can Big Valley Christian avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
