With a playoff win on the line, Chiawana rose to the challenge on Friday. They had just enough and edged out the Hanford Falcons 5-3. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since March 29, 2024, but that streak is no more.
Gabriella Garza spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three runs (all of which were unearned) on five hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, Alyssa Melendez was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Jessica Melendez was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
Riverhawks
| 05/09/25 @ Hanford | 5-3 |
| 05/06/25 @ Mead | 11-5 |
| 04/22/25 @ Kennewick | 10-1 |
| 04/15/25 @ Pasco | 15-2 |
| 04/11/25 @ Southridge | 10-3 |
Chiawana pushed their record up to 15-6 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Hanford, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 19-5.
Chiawana and Hanford are set to take part in some playoff action in their next matches. The Riverhawks will take on Richland at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Bombers will roll in looking for their tenth straight win, something Chiawana surely won't give up without a fight. As for Hanford, they will challenge Ferris on Tuesday. The Falcons' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Saxons have averaged an impressive 9.6 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
