Baseball Game Preview: West Vikings vs. Foothill Trojans

For the second straight game, West will face off against Foothill. The Vikings will take on the Trojans at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. West has given up an average of 9.8 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when West and Foothill meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Tuesday. The Vikings came up short against the Trojans, falling 12-1. The defeat continues a trend for the Vikings in their meetings with the Trojans: they've now lost seven in a row.

For Foothill's part, Levi Price was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Price was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with two RBI.

In other batting news, Foothill let Eduardo Rios and Ramon Diaz run wild. Rios scored three runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances, while Diaz scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Those three runs gave Rios a new career-high. Carlos Ruano also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.

Foothill was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.

Foothill has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for West, their loss dropped their record down to 4-10.

Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. West has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .437. However, it's not like Foothill struggles in that department as they've averaged .450. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.