Rancho Cucamonga hasn't had much luck against Etiwanda recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Cougars will head out to take on the Eagles at 3:15 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, Rancho Cucamonga earned a 9-4 victory over Los Osos. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Grizzlies recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Joss Brandl spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on nine hits.
At the plate, Jordin Washington and Lizzy Brown did most of the damage at the plate: Washington went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Brown scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. That's the most RBI Washington has posted since back in February. Kaela Moffett also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Rancho Cucamonga was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .414. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Los Osos only posted a batting average of .281.
Meanwhile, Etiwanda came tearing into Friday's contest with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.4 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 3-2 W against the Huskies. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Eagles have posted since February 27th.
Etiwanda also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Kimberlee Aleman gave up just two earned runs on five hits. Aleman has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Brianna Gutierrez was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one home run. Taylor Wren was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases.
Etiwanda's win was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-2. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Rancho Cucamonga, they now have a winning record of 9-8.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Rancho Cucamonga hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .344. However, it's not like Etiwanda struggles in that department as they've averaged .406. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rancho Cucamonga might still be hurting after the 13-2 defeat they got from Etiwanda in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
