A feisty cat fight will be fought as Linfield Christian Lions challenge Paloma Valley Wildcats at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Paloma Valley will be up against a hot Linfield Christian team: the squad just extended their winning streak to four. Linfield Christian blew past Santa Rosa Academy 15-1 on Monday. That looming 15-1 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Lions yet this season.
Linfield Christian let Sophia Rezkalah and Julia Preston run wild. Rezkalah went 2-for-3 with three runs, four RBI, and one double, while Preston went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI and two doubles. That's the most RBI Preston has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Danica Perez, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Linfield Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .462. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .304 or higher in ten consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, while Paloma Valley put up plenty of runs on Monday, the same can't be said for Notre Dame. Paloma Valley put the hurt on Notre Dame with a sharp 13-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Titans: they've now won five in a row.
Kadie Urban looked comfortable as she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two hits any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Brooklyn Berni was a standout: she went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. That triple was her first of the season. Laura Liera was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and three RBI.
Paloma Valley pushed their record up to 4-1 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Linfield Christian, their win bumped their record up to 4-0.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Linfield Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .483. However, it's not like Paloma Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .338. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Linfield Christian came out on top in a nail-biter against Paloma Valley in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, sneaking past 6-5. Does Linfield Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will Paloma Valley turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
