The Los Altos Conquerors will head out on the road to challenge the Western Christian Fighting Lancers at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Los Altos' favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three matchups.
If Los Altos beats Western Christian with 13 runs on Thursday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Conquerors beat Baldwin Park on Wednesday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 13-2. Considering the Conquerors have won six contests by more than six runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Christian Ramirez tossed a big game, pitching five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Los Altos got a massive performance out of Jacob Vargas, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Nathan Barrera was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Los Altos was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .407. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Baldwin Park only posted a batting average of .200.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Western Christian, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They blew past Azusa 8-2 on Monday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Fighting Lancers as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Owen Smith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on seven hits. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Western Christian is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 5-6 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Josh Turner was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. He has become a key player for Western Christian: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least three RBI, but 5-6 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Jacob Casas, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
Los Altos' record now sits at 9-4-1. As for Western Christian, the win got them back to even at 7-7.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Los Altos hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .323. However, it's not like Western Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .323. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Los Altos couldn't quite finish off Western Christian in their previous meeting back in February and fell 8-6. Can the Conquerors avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
