The Valley Oaks CES Vanguards are taking a road trip to take on the Sun Valley Magnet Pioneers at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. One thing working in Valley Oaks CES' favor is that they have posted at least ten runs every time they've taken the field this season.
Valley Oaks CES made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Discovery, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Valley Oaks CES put the hurt on Discovery with a sharp 22-14 victory on Thursday. Fans of the Vanguards have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
Justin Rendon made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out 12 batters over 4.1 innings while giving up six earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Rendon was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Miguel Hernandez
| 03/27/25 @ Discovery | 9 |
| 03/24/25 @ Community Charter | 3 |
| 03/20/25 vs Bert Corona Charter | 4 |
In other batting news, Valley Oaks CES got a massive performance out of Miguel Hernandez, who scored four runs and stole nine bases while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. Hernandez is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least three every time he's taken the field this season. Another player making a difference was Alex Flores, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with two stolen bases.
Valley Oaks CES always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .818. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .542 or higher every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, Sun Valley Magnet had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.7 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They walked away with an 8-3 win over the Lions. That's two games straight that the Pioneers have won by exactly five runs.
Like Valley Oaks CES, Sun Valley Magnet also got a great game from a two-way player: Diego Loredo. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Loredo also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Sun Valley Magnet is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 0-3 otherwise. Loredo was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Emerson Benitez, who scored two runs and stole three bases. Manuel Marquez was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Sun Valley Magnet now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Valley Oaks CES, their record now sits at 3-0.
Wednesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Valley Oaks CES has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .689. However, it's not like Sun Valley Magnet struggles in that department as they've averaged .542. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Valley Oaks CES might still be hurting after the 16-1 defeat they got from Sun Valley Magnet when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can Valley Oaks CES avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
