Valencia and Crean Lutheran are an even 4-4 against one another since April of 2019, but likely not for long. The Valencia Tigers are on the road again on Thursday to play the Crean Lutheran Saints at 3:15 p.m. Valencia is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
Valencia put the finishing touches on their fifth blowout victory of the season on Monday. They were the clear victor by an 11-0 margin over Anaheim.
Valencia got a great performance from Katelynn Hildreth as she didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched.
At the plate, Valencia let Sophia Avina and Elizabeth Nunez loose on the outfield. Avina went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Nunez scored three runs while going 3-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Lauren Kim, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Crean Lutheran was handed a 12-point defeat in their previous outing, but they didn't let that bad energy affect their game against Tustin on Tuesday. Crean Lutheran skirted past Tustin 9-7. The win was just what Crean Lutheran needed coming off of a 12-0 loss in their prior match.
Kayla Rick made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit (she also didn't allow any walks). Rick was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing four bases while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ella Smith, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Anna Ciftcikara, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
The victory got Valencia back to even at 8-8. As for Crean Lutheran, the win also got them back to even at 8-8.
Valencia came up short against Crean Lutheran in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, falling 8-5. Can Valencia avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
