The JW North Huskies will challenge the Western Christian Fighting Lancers at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
JW North is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Hart, sneaking past 4-3. The victory was nothing new for the Huskies as they're now sitting on three straight.
Anela Kinnevey spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits.
Lily Hiraoka
| 05/15/25 vs Hart | 4 |
| 05/06/25 @ Heritage | 3 |
| 05/01/25 vs Hillcrest | 1 |
| 04/29/25 vs Arlington | 1 |
| 04/24/25 @ Canyon Springs | 3 |
| + 8 more games |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Lily Hiraoka, who went 2-for-4 with four stolen bases and two runs. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 1 stolen bases per game. Angelina Martinez was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Western Christian had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.1 runs) and they went ahead and made it eight on Thursday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 6-5 W against the Warriors. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Fighting Lancers have posted since March 27th.
Western Christian also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Kayden Quiroz gave up five runs (all of which were unearned) on five hits. Quiroz has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Aryana Munoz was excellent, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Sofia Prentice, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
Western Christian's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-9. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.8 runs over those games. As for JW North, their victory bumped their record up to 18-10.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. JW North hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .386. However, it's not like Western Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .351. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
JW North suffered a grim 14-4 defeat to Western Christian in their previous matchup back in June of 2021. Can the Huskies avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
