The Duarte Falcons will take on the Sierra Vista Dons at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Duarte gave up the first runs on Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They blew past Azusa 12-5. The win was nothing new for the Falcons as they're now sitting on five straight.
Alyssa Garcia spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 16 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Duarte got a massive performance out of Valeria Hinajosa, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Daniella Matiarena was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three doubles, two runs, and one RBI.
Duarte hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least three batters in 11 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, while Sierra Vista put up plenty of runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Baldwin Park. The Dons were the clear victors by a 20-0 margin over the Braves. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since February 10, 2022, but that streak is no more.
Isabella Ortega made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Ortega was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one triple and one RBI. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kayla Iniguez, who went 4-for-5 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Joey Romero, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Duarte pushed their record up to 17-4 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Sierra Vista, their victory bumped their record up to 10-7.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Duarte has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .502. However, it's not like Sierra Vista struggles in that department as they've averaged .496. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Duarte took their win against Sierra Vista when the teams last played two weeks ago by a conclusive 12-1 score. Will the Falcons repeat their success, or do the Dons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
