River Valley took a eight-run loss the last time they faced off against Placer, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Falcons sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-4 victory over the Hillmen on Monday. This was a revenge game for the Falcons: when they faced off against the Hillmen back in April, they had to take a 12-4 defeat.
Payton Smith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on five hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances.
Kaitlyn Garcia
| 05/05/25 @ Placer | 2 |
| 04/29/25 @ Yuba City | 1 |
| 04/03/25 @ Del Campo | 1 |
| 03/20/25 @ Twelve Bridges | 1 |
| 03/08/25 vs University Prep | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Kaitlyn Garcia, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one run. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Alexandria Ward was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
River Valley hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Placer struck out eight times.
River Valley's win bumped their record up to 15-10. As for Placer, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 15-6.
Looking ahead, River Valley will welcome Del Campo at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Cougars have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 11.32 runs per game on average), something the Falcons will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Placer, they will head out on the road to face off against Yuba City at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Hillmen's pitchers better be ready for this one: the Honkers have averaged an impressive 6.7 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
