The Rocklin Thunder will take on the Whitney Wildcats at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Rocklin is coming into the game hot, having won their last seven games.
Rocklin is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Vacaville 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Thunder have posted since March 26th.
Payton Prior spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned runs on ten hits and racked up ten Ks.
On the hitting side, Katie Wetteland was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Addie Titlow was another key player, going 2-for-5 with two runs.
Rocklin was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .433. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Vacaville only posted a batting average of .300.
Meanwhile, Whitney waltzed into their match on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They were the clear victors by a 7-1 margin over the Timberwolves. The result was nothing new for the Wildcats, who have now won 11 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Whitney also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Taylor Cordell gave up only one earned run on seven hits and racked up ten Ks. With that strong performance, Cordell is now averaging an impressive 5.1 strikeouts per game.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Tylie Kitchen, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI. Rebecca Rau also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Rocklin's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 22-5. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.2 runs over those games. As for Whitney, their record now sits at 22-9.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Rocklin hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. However, it's not like Whitney struggles in that department as they've averaged .321. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Rocklin's way against Whitney in their previous meeting two weeks ago, as Rocklin made off with a 14-3 win. Do the Thunder have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Wildcats turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
