The Rancho Cucamonga Cougars will square off against the Citrus Valley Blackhawks at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday.
Rancho Cucamonga is headed into the contest having just suffered their biggest loss since February 26th on Monday. They came up short against Yucaipa, falling 15-3. The Cougars haven't had much luck with the Thunderbirds recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.
Rancho Cucamonga saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jemma Wright, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 1-for-2. Those three stolen bases gave Wright a new career-high. Amanda Wise also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Citrus Valley got the win against Serrano on Friday by a conclusive 16-1. That looming 16-1 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Blackhawks yet this season.
Cali Leverette tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over 4.2 innings pitched.
At the plate, Nevaeh Martin was a standout: she went 1-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Leah Leivas, who scored two runs while going 4-for-4.
Citrus Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive games.
Citrus Valley has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. Rancho Cucamonga's defeat dropped their record down to 7-5.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Rancho Cucamonga hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .363. However, it's not like Citrus Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .418. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rancho Cucamonga came out on top in a nail-biter against Citrus Valley in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, sneaking past 5-4. Will Rancho Cucamonga repeat their success, or does Citrus Valley has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
