The University City Centurions will face off against the Mira Mesa Marauders at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
University City is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 14 runs on Tuesday, they were much more limited against Scripps Ranch on Thursday. They fell just short of the Falcons by a score of 3-2. The Centurions have struggled against the Falcons recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.
Aliyah Padilla was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she tossed six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits.
On the hitting side, University City saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Samantha Weathers, who went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Mira Mesa waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with five straight wins... but they left with six. They were the clear victors by a 12-4 margin over the Chieftains.
Brooklyn Haug made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Aria Phruksukarn was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Bailey McBride was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Mira Mesa kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 4-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Mira Mesa's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-11. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for University City, their loss dropped their record down to 7-14-1.
University City couldn't quite get it done against Mira Mesa in their previous meeting back in April as they fell 5-1. Will the Centurions have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.