The Laton Mustangs will square off against the Alpaugh Buffalos at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Laton's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last six contests.
On Monday, Laton needed a bit of extra time to put away Valley Christian Academy. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Lions, sneaking past 17-16. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Mustangs have posted since March 9th.
The team relied heavily on Jaylene Zazueta, who got on base in five of her seven plate appearances with five runs and one RBI. Emily Rojas was another key player, going 4-for-6 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Laton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.1 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 12.8.
Meanwhile, Alpaugh lost 27-17 to Kings Christian last Friday. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game two weeks ago (14), the Buffalos still had to take the loss.
Alpaugh got a massive performance out of Eli Herrera, who got on base in four of her seven plate appearances with five stolen bases and two runs. Herrera has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Aydette Ontiveros, who got on base in three of her seven plate appearances with four stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
Laton pushed their record up to 8-11-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 24.5 runs over those games. As for Alpaugh, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-8 record this season.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Laton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .529. However, it's not like Alpaugh struggles in that department as they've averaged .441. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Laton got the 'W' in their previous meeting two weeks ago against Alpaugh by a conclusive 30-14 score. Do the Mustangs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Buffalos turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
