The Orcutt Academy Spartans will be staying on the road on Thursday to face off against the San Luis Obispo Tigers at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Orcutt Academy scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 31-8 margin over Santa Ynez. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded Orcutt Academy with their most commanding win of the season.
Valerie Gonzales was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (she also only allowed one walk). Gonzales has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive pitching appearances. Gonzales was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and a run.
In other batting news, Orcutt Academy got a massive performance out of Whitney Clevenger, who scored four runs while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Jaylene Roybal, who scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances.
Meanwhile, San Luis Obispo got the win against Santa Maria on Tuesday by a conclusive 20-4.
Like Orcutt Academy, San Luis Obispo also got a great game from a two-way player: London Sutton. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over six innings while giving up four earned runs off four hits. Sutton was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while getting on base in two of her five plate appearances.
In other batting news, San Luis Obispo got a massive performance out of Kailani Howard, who scored three runs while going 5-for-5. Sarah Kelley was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 4-for-5.
Orcutt Academy pushed their record up to 12-4 with that victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs per game. As for San Luis Obispo, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a massive bump to their 6-10 record this season.
Thursday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Orcutt Academy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .337. However, it's not like San Luis Obispo struggles in that department as they've averaged .322. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Orcutt Academy took their win against San Luis Obispo in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 11-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for Orcutt Academy since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
