The Santiago Cavaliers will head out on the road to challenge the Anaheim Colonists at 3:15 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Santiago sitting on six straight victories and Anaheim on four.
Anaheim's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Monday: Santiago hadn't allowed a single run the last six times they've hit the field. The Cavaliers blew past Los Amigos 15-0 on Friday. The Cavaliers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 games by nine runs or more this season.
Ihilani B was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with five RBI and two runs.
In other batting news, Lilly C was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That stolen base marked the first that she has snagged this season. Another player making a difference was Ava D, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one double.
Santiago always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .588. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, it may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but Anaheim ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Los Amigos 7-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Colonists have posted since April 8th.
Like Santiago, Anaheim also got a great game from a two-way player: Taylor Falt. She tossed six innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits. Falt was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
In other batting news, Anaheim got a massive performance out of Chloe Tabita, who went 4-for-5 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most doubles Tabita has posted since back in April. Jenelle Monzon was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Santiago's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-6. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Anaheim, their record now sits at 20-3.
Santiago took their win against Anaheim in their previous matchup two weeks ago by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cavaliers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
