vs
| 04/22/25 - Home | 1-8 L |
| 03/25/25 - Away | 2-9 L |
| 02/15/24 - Home | 8-3 W |
| 04/05/23 - Away | 1-2 L |
| 02/21/23 - Home | 6-5 W |
| + 5 more games |
Santa Ana Valley and Saddleback are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2017, but likely not for long. The Falcons will challenge the Roadrunners at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Santa Ana Valley took a ten-run defeat the last time they faced off against Whitney, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Falcons came out on top in a nail-biter against the Wildcats on Wednesday, sneaking past 8-6. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Falcons as it put an end to their six-game losing streak.
Abraham Navidad made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off two hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in February. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Julian Esqueda, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Sean Vela, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Saddleback hadn't beaten Santa Ana Valley on the road since February 15, 2020 but that history sure didn't bother them on Tuesday. The Roadrunners put the hurt on the Falcons with a sharp 8-1 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Roadrunners.
Brandon Cotoc spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on five hits. He has become a key player for Saddleback: the team is 4-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 7-8-1 otherwise.
At the plate, Saddleback let Joaquin Cornejo and Anthony Lopez run wild. Cornejo went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs, while Lopez went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Lopez is becoming a predictor of Saddleback's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 4-1 (and 7-8-1 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Jerry Arevalo-Reyes, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Saddleback kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive games.
Santa Ana Valley's win bumped their record up to 4-15. As for Saddleback, their victory bumped their record up to 11-9-1.
Santa Ana Valley suffered a grim 8-1 defeat to Saddleback in their previous matchup on Tuesday. Can the Falcons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
