For the first time this season, Salinas will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. After both having extra time off, they and the Watsonville Wildcatz will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Salinas' pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Watsonville's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Two weeks ago, Salinas didn't have quite enough to beat Clovis West and fell 4-3. The Cowboys have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Salinas saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Yareli Alcaraz, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one triple and one RBI. Daliah Benites also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Watsonville never got on the board in their matchup two weeks ago, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Christopher last Friday. They walked away with a 17-13 victory over the Cougars. The win continues a trend for the Wildcatz in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won nine in a row.
Amelia Martinez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and ten unearned) runs on 11 hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jillian Lerma, who went 3-for-4 with four runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Mia Espinoza was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-5.
Watsonville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .561. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Christopher only posted an OBP of .385.
Watsonville's victory bumped their record up to 8-2. As for Salinas, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Salinas has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Watsonville struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Salinas was able to grind out a solid win over Watsonville in their previous meeting back in April of 2023, winning 6-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for Salinas since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
