The California Lutheran C-Hawks will square off against the Norton Science & Language Academy Rockets at 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when California Lutheran and United Christian Academy meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Tuesday. The C-Hawks' pitcher stepped up to hand the Eagles a 10-0 shutout. Considering the C-Hawks have won eight matches by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Ethan Ash
| 05/06/25 @ United Christian Academy | 1 |
| 05/01/25 vs Calvin Christian | 2 |
| 04/10/25 vs United Christian Academy | 1 |
Ethan Ash made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Eli Hansen was excellent, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Mathias Galanos was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Norton Science & Language Academy). They put the hurt on The Grove School with a sharp 16-6 victory on Thursday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Rockets as it put an end to their six-game losing streak.
Like California Lutheran, Norton Science & Language Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Isaiah Saldana. On the mound, Saldana struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Nicolas Terrazas tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Norton Science & Language Academy is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 0-12 otherwise. At the plate, Saldana got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs, while Terrazas got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gustavo Roldan, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with four stolen bases and four runs. He also put up a hit, which was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Ethan Corral, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI and one run.
California Lutheran has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Norton Science & Language Academy, their win bumped their record up to 2-13.
California Lutheran's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's game. The C-Hawks have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Norton Science & Language Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will California Lutheran continue to outrun the ball?
California Lutheran took their victory against Norton Science & Language Academy in their previous matchup back in February by a conclusive 22-0 score. Do the C-Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rockets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
