California has won 17 straight games at home (dating back to last season), while La Serna has won 17 straight on the road also dating back to last season, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The California Condors will host the La Serna Lancers at 3:15 p.m. California's pitching crew has only allowed 2.5 runs per game this season, so La Serna's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Tuesday, California earned a 7-3 victory over El Rancho.
Alexis Salas spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on four hits and racked up 12 Ks.
At the plate, California let Mia Martinez and Jessica Gurule run wild. Martinez went 3-for-4 with one home run, while Gurule went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. That's the most hits Martinez has posted since back in February of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Ally DeAlba, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one triple.
They weren't the only ones working in the hit department: California kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, everything went La Serna's way against Whittier on Tuesday as La Serna made off with an 11-1 win. With that victory, the Lancers brought their scoring average up to 6.8 runs per game.
Ava Jimenez looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over four innings pitched.
On the hitting side, La Serna got a big performance out of Isabela Sanchez, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. That stolen base was Sanchez's first of the season. Mikaela Galicia was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-1.
California's win ended a four-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 5-5. As for La Serna, their victory bumped their record up to 4-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. California has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like La Serna struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
California was able to grind out a solid win over La Serna in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 10-5. Will California repeat their success, or does La Serna have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
