Escalon and Ripon are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Escalon Cougars will head out on the road to face off against the Ripon Indians at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, Escalon was able to grind out a solid win over Hughson, taking the game 11-7. The victory was just what Escalon needed coming off of a 16-3 defeat in their prior matchup.
Shelby Wilder was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed five innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Wilder was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, Escalon got a big performance out of Arianna Velasco, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Jessy-lynn Kesler, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Ripon can now show off seven landslide victories after their most recent match on Friday. They blew past Hilmar 7-1. The win made it back-to-back victories for Ripon.
Kharime Caratachea spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered one run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in five consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Alana Hernandez, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with a home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Addison Naranjo, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Escalon's win ended a six-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 5-10. As for Ripon, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games, which provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Escalon hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .326. However, it's not like Ripon struggles in that department as they've averaged .325. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Escalon couldn't quite finish off Ripon in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 and fell 4-2. Can Escalon avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
