The River Road Wildcats will face off against the Shallowater Mustangs at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. River Road is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.6 runs per game this season.
Randall hit River Road with a five-run first inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Wildcats fell 8-3 to the Raiders. The loss continues a trend for the Wildcats in their meetings with the Raiders: they've now lost three in a row.
Isela Delgado made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run and one double.
Meanwhile, Shallowater waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Mules a 10-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won 14 contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Gracie Banks was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 14 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brinley Currington, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two runs. Kaylee Olivo was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base.
Shallowater was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .480. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .333 or higher in five consecutive games.
Shallowater pushed their record up to 17-6 with the victory, which was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.8 runs over those games. As for River Road, their defeat dropped their record down to 23-10.
River Road's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's match. The Wildcats have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Shallowater, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will River Road continue to outrun the ball?
River Road came out on top in a nail-biter against Shallowater in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, sneaking past 9-7. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
