Chico dropped their record down to 7-8 on Tuesday, which also ended the team's three-game streak of wins at home. They took a 14-11 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Pleasant Valley Vikings. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Panthers, who until this matchup were averaging 3.67 runs allowed.
Olivia Murphy was cooking despite her team's loss, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Caroline LaMoe, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
As for Pleasant Valley, the victory was the ninth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 14-5-1. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games.
On Pleasant Valley's side, Alissa Snipes made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out six batters over 3.1 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off only two hits. Snipes has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. What's more, she posted two doubles, the most she's had since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Carisma Ta'Amai and Lily Thurman did most of the damage at the plate: Ta'Amai went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI, while Thurman fired off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 3-for-4. Those three runs gave Ta'Amai a new career-high.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Chico will take on Foothill at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Panthers 3.7, the Cougars 3.2) so any runs scored will be well earned. As for Pleasant Valley, they will square off against Enterprise at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Vikings are facing the Hornets at the right time seeing as the Hornets are stuck on a five-game losing streak.
