Foresthill is 0-4 against Big Valley Christian since May of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Foresthill Wildfires will square off against the Big Valley Christian Lions at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Foresthill is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 17-7 margin over Faith Christian. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Foresthill.
Summer Stephens made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Stephens has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in 13 consecutive pitching appearances. Stephens was also stellar in the batter's box, going 4-for-4 with a home run, three stolen bases, and four runs.
In other batting news, Foresthill let Cordelia Hammer and Caillin Noe loose on the outfield. Hammer scored two runs while going 3-for-4, while Noe went 3-for-4 with four RBI, a run, and a double. Another player making a difference was Brianna Miller, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Big Valley Christian had already won nine in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.9 runs), and they went ahead and made it ten on Tuesday. They blew past the Lions 20-1.
Like Foresthill, Big Valley Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Ava Hernandez. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Hernandez was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Big Valley Christian let Ella Alavezos and Morgan Merzon loose on the outfield. Alavezos scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances, while Merzon scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Breese Johnson, who scored two runs while getting on base in all two of her plate appearances.
Foresthill pushed their record up to 13-5 with that victory, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Big Valley Christian, they are on a roll lately: they've won 13 of their last 14 games, which provided a nice bump to their 19-6-1 record this season.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Foresthill has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .523. However, it's not like Big Valley Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .451. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Foresthill suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Big Valley Christian in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Can Foresthill avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
