The Johnson Warriors will square off against the Armijo Royals at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Johnson comes in on seven and Armijo on eight.
On Friday, Johnson made easy work of Burbank and carried off an 18-1 victory. The Warriors might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by seven runs or more this season.
Anissa Zavala was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in nine consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other pitching news, Kayla Madison and DeAhjanuque Salter dominated on the mound. Madison went 3-for-4 with four runs, two doubles, and one stolen base, while Salter went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Valicianna Collins-Hogan, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Naomi Quiroz was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Johnson always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .706. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .517 or higher in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Armijo made easy work of Fairfield on Friday and carried off a 17-11 win. The result was nothing new for the Royals, who have now won six games by six runs or more so far this season.
Brooklyn Talbot made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over six innings pitched. Talbot was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 5-for-6. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 3.1 hits per game.
In other batting news, Tiana Alcorn was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Harmony Gillis, who went 4-for-5 with three runs and one double.
Johnson pushed their record up to 12-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Armijo, their record is now 9-1.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Johnson has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .577. However, it's not like Armijo struggles in that department as they've averaged .640. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Johnson came up short against Armijo when the teams last played back in March, falling 7-4. Can the Warriors avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
