Boulder Creek hasn't had much luck against Pinnacle recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Jaguars will head out to face off against the Pioneers at 3:45 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
It was a proper cat-fight when Boulder Creek challenged Millennium on Friday. The Jaguars blew past the Tigers 9-2. The Jaguars have beaten the Tigers the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Tigers has come to flipping the script.
McKenzie Hernandez looked comfortable as she tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Lauren Grunert, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple marked the first that she hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Mikayla McCoy, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Boulder Creek was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Millennium only posted a batting average of .296.
Meanwhile, Pinnacle faced Corona del Sol in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The Pioneers' pitchers stepped up to hand the Aztecs a 10-0 shutout. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Pioneers.
Pinnacle got a massive performance out of Sienna Caro, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most RBI Caro has posted since back in April of 2024. Payton Crank was another key player, going 3-for-5 with one home run and two runs.
Pinnacle pushed their record up to 9-6-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games. As for Boulder Creek, their record now sits at 18-5.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Boulder Creek has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .462. However, it's not like Pinnacle struggles in that department as they've averaged .473. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Boulder Creek beat Pinnacle 6-2 in their previous matchup back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Jaguars since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
