The Taft Eagles will face off against the Saint Ignatius College Prep Wolfpack at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Taft is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Juarez as they made off with a 23-2 win. Winning may never get old, but Taft sure is getting used to it with their third in a row.
Jiselle Hernandez was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Isabel Dennewitz was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Mia Perez, who went 2-for-3 with four runs, two RBI, and one double.
Taft always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .694. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last match, Saint Ignatius College Prep made sure to put some runs up on the board against Lincoln Park on Wednesday. The Wolfpack put the hurt on the Lions with a sharp 13-3 victory. The Wolfpack haven't had any issues with the Lions recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Like Taft, Saint Ignatius College Prep also got a great game from a two-way player: Giovanna Sanfratello. She tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Sanfratello was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lilliana Lynch, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. Katie McClain was another key player, getting on base in two of her three plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Taft's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-13. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Saint Ignatius College Prep, their victory bumped their record up to 17-19.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Taft hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .339. However, it's not like Saint Ignatius College Prep struggles in that department as they've averaged .317. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Taft came out on top in a nail-biter against Saint Ignatius College Prep when the teams last played back in April, sneaking past 2-1. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do the Wolfpack have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
