Crean Lutheran has been on the road for three straight, but on Thursday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Valencia Tigers at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
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 came out on top in a nail-biter against Tustin and snuck past 9-7. The win was just what Crean Lutheran needed coming off of a 12-0 loss in their prior contest.
Kayla Rick made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched 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, Ella Smith was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Anna Ciftcikara was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Valencia had to endure a five-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They never let Anaheim onto the board and left with an 11-0 victory on Monday. The result was nothing new for Valencia, who have now won five matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Valencia also got a great performance from Katelynn Hildreth as she didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Sophia Avina and Elizabeth Nunez did most of the damage at the plate: Avina went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Nunez scored three runs while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Lauren Kim, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
The win got Crean Lutheran back to even at 8-8. As for Valencia, the victory also got them back to even at 8-8.
Crean Lutheran's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's match. Crean Lutheran has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Valencia, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Crean Lutheran continue to outrun the ball?
Crean Lutheran beat Valencia 8-5 in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Does Crean Lutheran have another victory up their sleeve, or will Valencia turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
