The Clark Chargers will square off against the Pinecrest Academy Cadence Cougars at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Clark has four straight wins, Pinecrest Academy Cadence has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Clark is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 29-8 margin over Eldorado on Wednesday. Considering the Chargers have won five matchups by more than 14 runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Alex Spatharos was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over five innings pitched. Spatharos was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run.
In other batting news, Paola Garcia was a standout: she got on base in five of her six plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Alizon Abad Macedo, who scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances.
Clark always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .729. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Eldorado only posted an OBP of .273.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 16 runs the game before, Pinecrest Academy Cadence was a bit more limited in their game on Tuesday. They lost 17-2 to Rancho. That's two games in a row now that the Cougars have lost by exactly 15 runs.
Pinecrest Academy Cadence saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Destiny Aguilar, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases.
Clark's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-3-1. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 20.0 runs over those games. As for Pinecrest Academy Cadence, their loss dropped their record down to 2-7.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Clark has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .579. However, it's not like Pinecrest Academy Cadence struggles in that department as they've averaged .537. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Clark took their victory against Pinecrest Academy Cadence when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 20-11 score. Do the Chargers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cougars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
