Santa Cruz had lost seven straight at home, but on Tuesday they dropped down to 2-12 to make it eight. They lost 17-0 to the Soquel Knights. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Knights this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 16-1 on April 2nd.
Santa Cruz saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Tezdyn Medina-Mates, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
As for Soquel, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games.
On Soquel's side, Kiyomi Dunlap and Hailey Leimas made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Dunlap pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Leimas tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. At the plate, Dunlap got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Leimas got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most RBI Dunlap has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Emma Niizawa, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three stolen bases, and four runs. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Eliza Stevens was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs and one RBI.
Looking ahead, Santa Cruz will host Aptos at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Cardinals' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Mariners have averaged an impressive 8 runs per game this season. As for Soquel, they will square off against Scotts Valley at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Knights' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Falcons have averaged an impressive 7.9 runs per game this season.
