The Fairfield Falcons will head out to square off against the Johnson Warriors at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Fairfield is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 25-5 margin over Burbank on Monday. The Falcons might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matchups by 20 runs or more this season.
Talia Falekaono made a big impact no matter where she played. She tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 4-for-5 with one home run, six RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that she launched this season.
In other batting news, Mariah Giron was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run and four runs. That home run was her first of the season. Madylin Micheli was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.
Fairfield kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Johnson got the win against Foothill on Monday by a conclusive 17-1. The Warriors haven't had any issues with the Mustangs recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Like Fairfield, Johnson also got a great game from a two-way player: Angelene Gonzales. Throwing, Gonzales struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Anissa Zavala pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. At the plate, Gonzales scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3, while Zavala scored two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Valicianna Collins-Hogan was a standout: she scored two runs while going 3-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Ivette Villar, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-1.
Johnson pushed their record up to 7-2 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing 16 hits in those games compared to only 5.5 in the others. As for Fairfield, their record now sits at 3-4.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Fairfield hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .406. However, it's not like Johnson struggles in that department as they've averaged .429. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
