Valencia and Belen are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Valencia Jaguars will head out on the road to challenge the Belen Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Valencia took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Highland with a sharp 17-2 win. That 15 run margin sets a new team best for Valencia this season.
Valencia got a massive performance out of Alyssa Foster, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was McKayla Barka, who scored three runs and stole five bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Belen put the finishing touches on their 13th blowout victory of the season last Tuesday. They never let Highland onto the board and left with a 21-0 victory.
Honey Mirabal was a standout: she scored three runs while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. Araceli Franco was another key contributor, going 4-for-4 with three runs, a triple, and two RBI.
Valencia's win bumped their record up to 5-16. As for Belen, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won ten of their last 11 contests, which provided a massive bump to their 15-9 record this season.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Valencia has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .473. However, it's not like Belen struggles in that department as they've averaged .577. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Valencia suffered a grim 21-2 defeat to Belen in their previous meeting back in April. Can Valencia avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
