vs
| 03/13/18 - Home | 13-8 W |
| 03/23/17 - Home | 16-13 W |
| 03/20/17 - Away | 16-4 W |
West Valley is a perfect 3-0 against Banning since March of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Mustangs will look to defend their home field against the Broncos at 3:15 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
West Valley fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against San Jacinto on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Tigers by a score of 12-11. The Mustangs haven't had much luck with the Tigers recently, as the team has come up short the last nine times they've met.
Olivia Valenzuela made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and got on base in all five of her plate appearances with four runs, one stolen base, and one double. Deonys Ioane was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Banning got the win against Cathedral City on Thursday by a conclusive 12-2. Considering the Broncos have won four games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Gabby Castro spent all five innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on six hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Banning got a big performance out of Hailey Connolly, who got on base in four of her eight plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Anyssa Aqleh, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Banning hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are 5-2 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Banning is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for West Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. West Valley has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Banning struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
West Valley was able to grind out a solid win over Banning when the teams last played back in March of 2018, winning 13-8. Do the Mustangs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Broncos turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
