The Placer Hillmen will take on the Del Campo Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Placer will be strutting in after a win while Del Campo will be coming in after a loss.
Placer had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the eight-run drubbing they dealt River Valley on Tuesday. The Hillmen blew past the Falcons 12-4. The result was nothing new for the Hillmen, who have now won ten matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Sydney Nitta made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. Nitta was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with two RBI.
In other batting news, Placer let Paige Denniston and Ella Osborne run wild. Denniston scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4, while Osborne scored two runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. That's the most runs Osborne has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Olivia Thornton, who scored a run while going 2-for-5.
Placer was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as River Valley only posted a batting average of .192.
Meanwhile, Del Campo was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They came up short against Twelve Bridges, falling 14-5.
Sophia Wright made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 3-for-4. Sophie Wells was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Placer pushed their record up to 12-4 with the victory, which was their seventh straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.9 runs over those games. As for Del Campo, their loss dropped their record down to 4-9.
Placer beat Del Campo 15-11 when the teams last played back in March. Do the Hillmen have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cougars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
