Castilleja is 0-3 against Palo Alto since March of 2015 but things could change on Wednesday. After both having extra time off, the two teams will shake off the rust and duke it out at 4:00 p.m. Castilleja has given up an average of 13.5 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Castilleja lost 19-5 to Mercy last Wednesday. The Gators have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Castilleja saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Raina Kapadia, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run. That home run was Kapadia's first of the season.
Meanwhile, Palo Alto was not able to break out of their rough patch last Friday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 5-4 heartbreaker at the hands of MacDonald. That's two games in a row now that the Vikings have lost by just one run.
Kira Tzeng put in work while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off three hits. Tzeng was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Kendall Butler was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double. Kensie Pao was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Castilleja's defeat dropped their record down to 2-4. As for Palo Alto, their loss dropped their record down to 5-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Castilleja has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Palo Alto struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Castilleja might still be hurting after the 18-1 defeat they got from Palo Alto in their previous meeting back in March of 2017. Can the Gators avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
