The Rancho Verde Mustangs will take on the Arroyo Valley Hawks at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Rancho Verde took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Miller 4-2.
The team relied heavily on Caden Coppola, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. David Hernandez was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Arroyo Valley sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-4 victory over Palm Springs on Tuesday.
Jake Jimenez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four runs allowed (all of which were unearned) on four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single earned runs in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Arroyo Valley's win was truly a team effort as seven different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Miguel Acosta, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-1. Acosta also got a hit, marking his first of the season.
Arroyo Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .516. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Palm Springs only posted an OBP of .286.
Arroyo Valley's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-1. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs over those games. As for Rancho Verde, their win bumped their record up to 3-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Rancho Verde has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Arroyo Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
