The Capistrano Valley Cougars will head out on the road to face off against the Villa Park Spartans at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Capistrano Valley 3, Villa Park 2.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Capistrano Valley blew University out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Monday University got their revenge. Capistrano Valley fell just short of University by a score of 2-0. The contest marked the first time this year in which the Cougars were not able to get on the board.
Capistrano Valley had to settle for second despite strong performances on the mound from Max Talasez and Spencer Korzep Talasez tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits, while Korzep tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Korzep has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Capistrano Valley saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Gavin Collins, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Villa Park, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Santa Margarita 2-1.
Logan Hoppie looked comfortable as he tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Austin Park was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. That double marked the first that he hit this season.
The defeat snapped Capistrano Valley's winning streak at four games and leaves them with a 6-4 record. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.0 runs over those games. As for Villa Park, their win bumped their record up to 7-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Capistrano Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Villa Park struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Capistrano Valley skirted past Villa Park 4-3 in their previous matchup back in March of 2021. The rematch might be a little tougher for Capistrano Valley since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
