Whittier Christian is 0-3 against La Serna since April of 2022 but things could change on Saturday. The Heralds will head out to face off against the Lancers at 8:30 a.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Tuesday, Whittier Christian got the win against Maranatha by a conclusive 12-1. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Heralds.
Sofia Gonzalez looked comfortable as she struck out eight batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, Alexa Vasquez and Victoria Hinostro did most of the damage at the plate: Vasquez scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-1, while Hinostro scored two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. The dominant performance also gave Vasquez a new career-high in RBI (three). Gigi Bojorquez also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Whittier Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .435. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .310 or higher in 14 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, La Serna hadn't done well against Gahr recently (they were 0-5 in their previous five matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Lancers blew past the Gladiators 11-2. With that victory, the Lancers brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Ava Jimenez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on six hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, Cann Puig was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Paulina Ortega, who scored three runs while going 2-for-5.
Whittier Christian's win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-5. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for La Serna, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-6 record this season.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Saturday. Whittier Christian hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.8 home runs per game. However, it's not like La Serna struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.4 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Whittier Christian came up short against La Serna in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, falling 12-9. Can the Heralds avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
