Thunderbirds
| 05/01/25 vs Redlands East Valley | 4 |
| 04/29/25 @ Beaumont | 5 |
| 04/24/25 @ Citrus Valley | 3 |
| 04/22/25 @ Cajon | 6 |
| 04/17/25 vs Redlands | 18 |
| + 19 more games |
The Yucaipa Thunderbirds will face off against the Cajon Cowboys at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Yucaipa is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Yucaipa's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They walked away with a 4-0 win over Redlands East Valley. The victory continues a trend for the Thunderbirds in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won eight in a row.
The result came thanks to Emily Mendoza's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up nine Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Janelle Erickson was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Another player making a difference was Makenna Pettey, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Yucaipa hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least three batters in six consecutive contests.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Cajon and Citrus Valley meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Monday. The Cowboys lost 16-10 to the Blackhawks. Cowboys fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Blackhawks since on Monday.
Samantha Morales was cooking despite her team's loss, firing off two home runs and five RBI while going 2-for-3. Rylee Torres was another key player, going 4-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
Yucaipa's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-9. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Cajon, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 11-14 record this season.
Cajon's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Yucaipa has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Cajon, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.9 strikeouts. Will Yucaipa keep running through batters, or will the Cowboys buck the trend? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
