The Duarte Falcons are taking a road trip to square off against the Nogales Nobles at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
On Thursday, Duarte got the win against Baldwin Park by a conclusive 20-4. The result was nothing new for the Falcons, who have now won 11 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Allison Michels made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched four innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Michels was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
In other pitching news, Alyssa Garcia looked comfortable as she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Duarte got a massive performance out of Crystal Moran, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Daniella Matiarena also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Duarte kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 21 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, Nogales came up short against Azusa on Thursday and fell 17-14. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game on Tuesday (13), the Nobles still had to take the loss.
Dezzy Torres was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-4 with four stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Elisabeth Jimenez-Carrillo, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI.
Duarte's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Nogales, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-11.
Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Duarte hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .438. However, it's not like Nogales struggles in that department as they've averaged .359. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Duarte's way against Nogales in their previous meeting back in March, as Duarte made off with a 12-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Falcons since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
