The San Ramon Valley Wolves will square off against the Foothill Falcons at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
San Ramon Valley barely beat Dublin the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Wolves were the clear victors by a 15-1 margin over the Gaels on Tuesday. The victory continues a trend for the Wolves in their matchups with the Gaels: they've now won five in a row.
Lila McLeod looked comfortable as she struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, San Ramon Valley let Addie Layous and Brianna Schapiro run wild. Layous went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Schapiro went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBI. That's the most hits Schapiro has posted since back in April of 2024. Charlie Callison was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one double.
San Ramon Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Dublin only posted an OBP of .222.
Meanwhile, Foothill entered their tilt with Dougherty Valley on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They were the clear victors by an 11-3 margin over the Wildcats.
Myra Galzie spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on five hits.
On the hitting side, Foothill got a massive performance out of Ellie Novitske, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Sophia Burdick, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI and one triple.
Foothill's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-4-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for San Ramon Valley, their win bumped their record up to 11-6-2.
Foothill's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. San Ramon Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Foothill, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.6 strikeouts. Will San Ramon Valley keep running through batters, or will the Falcons buck the trend?
San Ramon Valley was able to grind out a solid victory over Foothill when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 5-1. Will the Wolves repeat their success, or do the Falcons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
