The ALA - West Foothills Guardians will take on the Alhambra Lions in a tournament on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (ALA - West Foothills 3.7, Alhambra 3.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
ALA - West Foothills took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Florence, sneaking past 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Guardians have posted since March 21, 2024.
Johnny Garcia was excellent, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 1-for-2.
ALA - West Foothills hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Florence struck out seven times.
Meanwhile, Alhambra came tearing into Wednesday's matchup with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 16.7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Knights a 20-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Lions, who have now won eight contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Nicolas Reyes made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Alhambra let Hector Villanueva and Juan Marrufo run wild. Villanueva scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-2, while Marrufo scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. What's more, Villanueva posted three RBI, the most he's had since back in February. Another player making a difference was Alan Ledon, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 1-for-1.
Alhambra's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-3. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 19.7 runs over those games. As for ALA - West Foothills, their win bumped their record up to 8-4.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. ALA - West Foothills has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .441. However, it's not like Alhambra struggles in that department as they've averaged .510. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
