The California Grizzlies will venture away from home to face off against the San Ramon Valley Wolves at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (California 1.5, San Ramon Valley 1.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
California's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They blew past Monte Vista 11-0. The Grizzlies haven't had any issues with the Mustangs recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Gabriella Nudo looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Shayla Santolucito, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and two doubles. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. Emma Golde also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
California was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .481. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Monte Vista only posted a batting average of .000.
Meanwhile, everything went San Ramon Valley's way against Dougherty Valley on Tuesday as San Ramon Valley made off with a 7-0 win. Considering the Wolves have won four contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Not much got past Lila McLeod, who gave up just four hits and racked up nine Ks to keep Dougherty Valley off the board. What's more, McLeod gave up only zero walks, the fewest she's had since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, Kayden West was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Ava Lyons, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
California's record is now 3-1. As for San Ramon Valley, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-1-1 record this season.
San Ramon Valley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: California has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .450. It's a different story for San Ramon Valley, though, as they've only averaged .338. Will they be able to contain California's hitters?
California beat San Ramon Valley 9-4 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for California since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
