The Dougherty Valley Wildcats are taking a road trip to take on the Carondelet Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Dougherty Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
San Ramon Valley hit Dougherty Valley with a six-run fifth inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Wildcats lost 13-2 to the Wolves. Having soared to a lofty 18 runs in the game before, the Wildcats couldn't push the score so high this time.
Dougherty Valley saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ava Millert, who went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Carondelet). They put the hurt on Amador Valley with a sharp 26-14 win on Tuesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Cougars with their most commanding win of the season.
Carondelet let Angela Gates and Reese Albano run wild. Gates got on base in all seven of her plate appearances with nine RBI, four runs, and three doubles, while Albano got on base in five of her seven plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. The dominant performance also gave Gates a new career-high in hits (five). Another player making a difference was Anna Gustafson, who went 4-for-7 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Carondelet always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .639. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Carondelet is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 10-11 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.2 runs over those games. As for Dougherty Valley, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 9-7 record this season.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Dougherty Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .339. However, it's not like Carondelet struggles in that department as they've averaged .313. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Dougherty Valley couldn't quite finish off Carondelet in their previous matchup back in March and fell 7-5. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
