The Mission Oak Hawks will head out to challenge the Dinuba Emperors at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Mission Oak is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last eight games.
Mission Oak's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They put the hurt on Hanford with a sharp 6-0 win. The Hawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by six runs or more this season.
Mission Oak let Jadyn Albright and Audrey Collins run wild. Albright went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double, while Collins went 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Dinuba was not the first on the board on Friday, but they got there more often. They walked away with a 7-3 victory over Tulare Union. The game was the first time the Emperors have beaten the Tribe on their field since April 6, 2021.
Neveah Garcia spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Kiley Gomez, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Hope Diaz was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Dinuba hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in five consecutive matchups.
Mission Oak pushed their record up to 15-9-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Dinuba, their record is now 18-8.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Mission Oak hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .362. However, it's not like Dinuba struggles in that department as they've averaged .351. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mission Oak beat Dinuba 7-2 when the teams last played two weeks ago. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hawks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
