Capistrano Valley Christian hasn't had much luck against Western Christian recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Eagles will square off against the Fighting Lancers at 3:00 p.m. Capistrano Valley Christian has given up an average of 9.9 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Capistrano Valley Christian managed to slip by Southlands Christian the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. Capistrano Valley Christian lost 11-1 to Southlands Christian on Tuesday. Having soared to a lofty 12 runs in the game before, Capistrano Valley Christian couldn't push the score so high this time.
M Meserve was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one home run. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season.
Meanwhile, Western Christian entered their tilt with Calvary Chapel on Thursday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They blew past the Grizzlies 17-2. The Fighting Lancers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven games by six runs or more this season.
Kayden Quiroz made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit (and only one walk). Those 12 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. She is on a roll when it comes to RBI, as she's now brought in three or more in each of the last three games she's played.
In other batting news, Western Christian got a big performance out of Aryana Munoz, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Abby Wibbens was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run.
Western Christian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 13.6.
Western Christian's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-9. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.3 runs over those games. As for Capistrano Valley Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 3-11.
Capistrano Valley Christian's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's contest. The Eagles have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.5 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Western Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Capistrano Valley Christian continue to outrun the ball?
Capistrano Valley Christian couldn't quite get it done against Western Christian when the teams last played two weeks ago as they fell 10-6. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
