The Ontario Christian Knights will square off against the Diamond Ranch Panthers at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Ontario Christian is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
Ontario Christian is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 11 runs on Thursday, they were much more limited against Duarte on Tuesday. They fell just short of the Falcons by a score of 2-1.
Ontario Christian saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Karli Cook, who went 2-for-3 with one double.
Meanwhile, Diamond Ranch won against Montclair on Wednesday with 11 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Friday. The Panthers' pitchers stepped up to hand the Cavaliers an 11-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won 11 matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Izel Avalos was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Olivia Jauregui, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs. Another player making a difference was Liset Renteria, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Diamond Ranch has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-9 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Ontario Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-9.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Ontario Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .340. However, it's not like Diamond Ranch struggles in that department as they've averaged .363. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ontario Christian came up short against Diamond Ranch in their previous matchup back in February, falling 9-4. Can the Knights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
