The Mark Keppel Aztecs will take on the Crescenta Valley Falcons at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
If Mark Keppel beats Crescenta Valley with nine runs on Monday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Aztecs' pitcher stepped up to hand Alhambra a 9-0 shutout on Thursday. The Aztecs haven't had any issues with the Moors recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Robyn Guitron was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 16 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Avigail Navarro was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5. Nevaeh Saldivar was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Mark Keppel always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Alhambra only posted an OBP of .130.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Crescenta Valley). They blew past Temple City 24-3 on Friday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Falcons.
Like Mark Keppel, Crescenta Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Addison Wong. She struck out 12 batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Wong was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Those two hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Chloe Mulcahey, who went 4-for-5 with one home run, nine RBI, and four runs. Those nine RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Alexa Johnson, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with four runs, two triples, and one RBI.
Mark Keppel's win bumped their record up to 10-3. As for Crescenta Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 8-4.
Monday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Mark Keppel hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .403. However, it's not like Crescenta Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .366. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
