Yucaipa is 8-2 against Citrus Valley since April of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Thunderbirds will welcome the Blackhawks at 4:00 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Yucaipa is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Rancho Cucamonga with a sharp 15-3 win on Monday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Thunderbirds as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Brooklyn Dent
| 03/31/25 @ Rancho Cucamonga | 1 |
| 03/26/25 @ Centennial | 2 |
| 03/20/25 vs Liberty | 0 |
Brooklyn Dent looked comfortable as she struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Janelle Erickson was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Makenna Pettey, who scored five runs while going 4-for-5.
Yucaipa kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are 4-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Citrus Valley had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They blew past the Cougars 10-4. The Blackhawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by six runs or more this season.
Cali Leverette looked comfortable as she pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Those hits were her first of the season.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Nevaeha Tarin, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three RBI. Chloe Hearrell was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 4-for-4.
Yucaipa's win bumped their record up to 9-7. As for Citrus Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 10-6.
Citrus Valley's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Yucaipa has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Citrus Valley, though, as they've been averaging only 1.4 strikeouts. Will Yucaipa keep running through batters, or will the Blackhawks buck the trend?
Yucaipa took their win against Citrus Valley in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 13-3 score. Will the Thunderbirds repeat their success, or do the Blackhawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
