The Citrus Hill Hawks will face off against the Notre Dame Titans at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
As a matter of fact, Citrus Hill put up the most points they have all season last Thursday. They walked away with an 18-15 victory over West Valley. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Hawks.
Tatum Pino made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Citrus Hill got a massive performance out of Danica Hess, who scored five runs while going 3-for-5. Julissa Sandoval was another key player, scoring four runs while going 2-for-5.
Citrus Hill was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. The last time their batting average was this high was back in February of 2024.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame hadn't done well against Xavier Prep recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. Notre Dame was the clear victor by a 15-1 margin over Xavier Prep. The Titans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matches by seven runs or more this season.
Sydney Cramer tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 11 over 4.2 innings pitched. That one hit allowed gave her a new career-low.
At the plate, Notre Dame let Shea McCann and Mikey Rodriguez run wild. McCann scored two runs while going 3-for-5, while Rodriguez went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one double. The dominant performance also gave McCann a new career-high in RBI (three). Another player making a difference was Teresa Avila, who scored two runs while going 2-for-5.
Citrus Hill's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-3. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Notre Dame, the win got them back to even at 5-5-1.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Citrus Hill has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .442. However, it's not like Notre Dame struggles in that department as they've averaged .438. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Citrus Hill was able to grind out a solid victory over Notre Dame when the teams last played back in March of 2023, winning 8-5. Will Citrus Hill repeat their success, or does Notre Dame has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
