The Johnson Warriors will take on the Fairfield Falcons at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Monday, Johnson got the win against Foothill by a conclusive 17-1. The victory continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won five in a row.
Angelene Gonzales and Anissa Zavala made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Gonzales struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Zavala tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances. At bat, Gonzales scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3, while Zavala scored two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Valicianna Collins-Hogan was a standout: she scored two runs while going 3-for-3. Ivette Villar was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-1.
Johnson always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .857. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Foothill only posted an OBP of .316.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Fairfield). Everything went their way against Burbank on Monday as Fairfield made off with a 25-5 win.
Like Johnson, Fairfield also got a great game from a two-way player: Talia Falekaono. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Falekaono was also stellar in the batter's box, going 4-for-5 with one home run, six RBI, and two runs. That home run was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mariah Giron, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run and four runs. That home run marked the first that she launched this season. Another player making a difference was Madylin Micheli, who scored two runs while going 1-for-2.
Johnson's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-2. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing 16 hits in those games compared to only 5.5 in the others. As for Fairfield, their win bumped their record up to 3-4.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Johnson hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .429. However, it's not like Fairfield 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. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
