The Central Catholic Raiders will face off against the Clovis West Golden Eagles at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Central Catholic sitting on three straight victories and Clovis West on eight.
While Central Catholic's win against Oakdale wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Raiders sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 victory over the Mustangs on Tuesday. Those two runs were actually the fewest the Raiders have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Stephanie Garcia
| 03/05/26 @ Tracy | 2 |
| 03/12/26 vs Mountain House | 4 |
| 03/07/26 vs Bishop Manogue | 5 |
| 03/10/26 @ East Union | 5 |
| 03/17/26 @ Oakdale | 6 |
Stephanie Garcia spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits and racked up six Ks. Those six strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
At the plate, Central Catholic secured the win behind a pair of hitters. One of them was Brooklyn Marquez, who went 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI. Samantha Nichols was another, earning one run and two stolen bases.
Meanwhile, Clovis West put their dominant pitchers on display in the team's third consecutive shutout on Saturday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Hanford a 9-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Golden Eagles, who have now won three matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Alexys Busch was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with three doubles, two RBI, and one run. Those three doubles gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kylie Byrd, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Clovis West was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .438. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Clovis West's victory bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Central Catholic, their win bumped their record up to 7-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Central Catholic has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Clovis West struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Central Catholic skirted past Clovis West 7-5 when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Will the Raiders repeat their success, or do the Golden Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
