The Whittier Christian Heralds will venture away from home to square off against the Marina Vikings at 3:15 p.m. on Monday. Whittier Christian is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
Whittier Christian proved they can win big on Monday (they won by 24) and on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 victory over Alta Loma. The win was familiar territory for the Heralds, who have now won three contests in a row.
Gabe Garcia was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in February. Leland Carrido was another key player, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Marina came up short against Los Alamitos on Friday and fell 6-3. The Vikings have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Marina also got a good showing from BRODY SCHATZMAN, who tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. SCHATZMAN has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Marina saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was LUKE PRATALI, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and two RBI. MAX CONDE also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Whittier Christian's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-4. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Marina, their loss dropped their record down to 8-7.
Marina's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Whittier Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .327. It's a different story for Marina, though, as they've only averaged .207. Will they be able to contain Whittier Christian's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
