The Rancho San Juan Trailblazers will head out to challenge the Monte Vista Christian Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Rancho San Juan has given up an average of 10.3 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
North Monterey County hit Rancho San Juan with a five-run sixth inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Trailblazers lost 13-2 to the Condors. The Trailblazers just can't catch a break and have now endured three defeats in a row.
Alina Thorton was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-2 with three stolen bases and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Bella Garcia, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one double.
Meanwhile, Monte Vista Christian got the win against Santa Cruz on Monday by a conclusive 15-4. Considering the Mustangs have won seven matches by more than nine runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Gianna Johnson was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. Those six strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Monte Vista Christian got a massive performance out of Kayla Fullalove-Silveira, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Fullalove-Silveira has been hot recently, having posted at least one home run the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Samantha Bertoldi, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, three stolen bases, and three runs.
Monte Vista Christian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in four consecutive games.
Rancho San Juan's loss dropped their record down to 5-9. As for Monte Vista Christian, their record now sits at 10-13.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Rancho San Juan hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .427. However, it's not like Monte Vista Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .362. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rancho San Juan came out on top in a nail-biter against Monte Vista Christian in their previous matchup back in April, sneaking past 13-11. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Trailblazers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
