The Arbor View Aggies will face off against the Duarte Falcons at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Arbor View is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.
Arbor View is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nevada's top teams: Green Valley, who was ranked 14th at the time (Arbor View was ranked 11th). The Aggies came out on top in a nail-biter against the Gators on Thursday, sneaking past 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Aggies have posted since March 20th.
Arbor View let Chloe Baird and Lilly Easton run wild. Baird scored a run while going 2-for-2, while Easton scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2. That's the most stolen bases Easton has posted over her last 12 games. Khloe Beno also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Duarte waltzed into their match on Tuesday with five straight wins... but they left with six. They never let the Vikings get on the board and left with a 20-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Falcons, who have now won nine contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Alyssa Garcia made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Duarte got a massive performance out of Valeria Nunez, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Valeria Hinajosa was another key player, scoring two runs while going 4-for-5.
Duarte kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 20 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 12 hits in six consecutive games.
Duarte's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-3. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Arbor View, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 10-7.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Arbor View hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .349. However, it's not like Duarte struggles in that department as they've averaged .422. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
