The Excelsior Charter Eagles will face off against the Whittier Christian Heralds at 3:15 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Excelsior Charter is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Victor Valley Christian with a sharp 16-1 win on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Eagles.
CRUZ SOTO made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. SOTO was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI. That triple marked the first that he hit this season.
In other batting news, Excelsior Charter got a massive performance out of Jevon Gordon, who scored four runs and stole four bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was BRADLEY SMITH, who scored three runs and stole four bases while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances.
Excelsior Charter was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .519. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .435 or higher in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Whittier Christian got themselves on the board against Marshall on Friday, but Marshall never followed suit. They blew past the Barristers 8-0. Considering the Heralds have won three contests by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Excelsior Charter, Whittier Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Alex Valencia. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. Valencia was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Eli Echavarria was a standout: he scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Aiden Van Essen was another key player, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Excelsior Charter's victory bumped their record up to 2-8. As for Whittier Christian, their win bumped their record up to 6-4.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Excelsior Charter hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .424. However, it's not like Whittier Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .333. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.