The Hillcrest Trojans will square off against the Rancho Christian Eagles at 3:15 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hillcrest is returning to their home field after beating Rancho Verde on theirs, despite the fact Rancho Verde has dominated at home this season. The Trojans were the clear victors by a 7-1 margin over the Mustangs on Thursday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Trojans.
The team relied heavily on James Henson, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one double. Another player making a difference was Logan Broesel, who went 2-for-4 with two runs.
Meanwhile, Rancho Christian got the win against Canyon Springs on Thursday by a conclusive 17-2. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Cougars recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Spencer Horner was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those three runs gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Timothy Loza was incredible, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-3. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Sean Downs was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and two runs.
Rancho Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .586. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Rancho Christian's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-7. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Hillcrest, their win bumped their record up to 14-6-1.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hillcrest hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like Rancho Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .342. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
