The Placer Hillmen will take on the Los Banos Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Placer is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.5 runs per game this season.
Placer is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They walked away with a 5-2 win over Oakmont. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Hillmen.
Sydney Nitta made a splash no matter where she played. She tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. Nitta was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Olivia Thornton was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Los Banos hadn't done well against Ceres recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Tigers came out on top in a nail-biter against the Bulldogs, sneaking past 10-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Tigers have posted against the Bulldogs since March 30, 2022.
Mya Arista spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and three unearned) runs on nine hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Gracie Orozco, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Shayla Hernandez, who went 1-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Los Banos' win bumped their record up to 11-14. As for Placer, their victory bumped their record up to 17-6.
Placer might still be hurting after the 9-2 loss they got from Los Banos in their previous meeting back in May of 2016. Can the Hillmen avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
