Branham and Los Gatos are an even 4-4 against one another since April of 2015, but likely not for long. The Branham Bruins will head out on the road to face off against the Los Gatos Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Friday just wasn't the day for Branham's offense. They fell 5-0 to Leland on Friday. Branham has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Meanwhile, Los Gatos didn't have quite enough to beat Santa Teresa on Monday and fell 3-2. It was the first time this season that Los Gatos let down their fans at home.
Ava Norquist spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on seven hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in five consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Olivia Sickels made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Even though they lost, Los Gatos hit smart and finished the game with two times. That's the most times they've managed all season.
Branham's loss dropped their record down to 7-5. As for Los Gatos, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 5-2.
Wednesday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant two-way players against one another: Jacqueline Connolly Hojas and Norquist. Connolly Hojas has put up some stellar numbers this year, and currently owns excellent season averages has an ERA of 2.81 over 67.1 innings pitched. For her part, Norquist has averaged has an ERA of 1.65 over 34 innings pitched.
Everything went Branham's way against Los Gatos in their previous meeting back in March of 2023 as Branham made off with a 7-1 win. Does Branham have another victory up their sleeve, or will Los Gatos turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
