The Valley Christian Defenders will take on the Crescenta Valley Falcons at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Valley Christian is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
On Tuesday, Valley Christian needed a bit of extra time to put away Long Beach Poly. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-7 victory over the Jackrabbits. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Defenders have posted since May 18, 2024.
Rachel Zhang spent all nine innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six earned (and one unearned) runs on ten hits.
Molly Douglas
| 03/11/25 vs Long Beach Poly | 1 |
| 03/01/25 vs Mayfair | 1 |
| 02/28/25 vs Saint Joseph | 1 |
At the plate, Valley Christian got a massive performance out of Molly Douglas, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. Douglas has been hot recently, having posted at least one home run the last three times she's played. Tallulah Ireland was another key player, scoring four runs while going 4-for-5.
Valley Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .368 or higher in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Crescenta Valley). They were the clear victor by a 12-4 margin over North on Friday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Falcons with their most commanding win of the season.
Jasmine Hernandez was a standout: she went 3-for-5 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Those two runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Alexa Johnson, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4.
The victory made it two in a row for Crescenta Valley and bumps their season record up to 4-2. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing 14 hits in those games compared to only 4.75 in the others. As for Valley Christian, their win bumped their record up to 7-0.
Wednesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Valley Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .415. However, it's not like Crescenta Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .318. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
