La Quinta dropped their record down to 16-3-1 on Friday, which also ended the team's eight-game streak of wins on the road. They fell just short of the Shadow Hills Knights by a score of 4-3. The Blackhawks were not able to repeat the success they had when they faced the Knights earlier this season, when they won 5-0.
As for Shadow Hills, they pushed their record up to 15-3 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games.
For Shadow Hills' part, Ava Valenzuela spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on four hits and racked up six Ks. Valenzuela has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Shadow Hills' win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Samantha Perez, who went 2-for-3 with two runs.
La Quinta and Shadow Hills will both get a bit of extra prep time before their next matches. The next time the Blackhawks see the field they'll take on Rancho Mirage at 6:00 p.m. on the 29th. As for Shadow Hills, their break will end when they face Palm Desert at 6:30 p.m. on the 29th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
