The Crismon Rattlers will square off against the Valley Christian Trojans at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Crismon's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They put the hurt on ALA - Queen Creek with a sharp 10-0 win. The victory was nothing new for the Rattlers as they're now sitting on six straight.
Emma Phelps tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Alee Grace Trunell was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Sophia Salvidar, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Crismon always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .516. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as ALA - Queen Creek only posted an OBP of .211.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Valley Christian, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They blew past Apache Junction 25-0 on Wednesday.
Taya Clausen made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over four innings pitched. Clausen was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Libby Juist, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI. Maddy Harmon also deserves some recognition as she launched her first home run of the season.
Valley Christian's win was their 11th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 22-3-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games. As for Crismon, their record is now 21-7.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Crismon hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .444. However, it's not like Valley Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .455. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
