Softball Preview: Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders vs. Otay Ranch Mustangs
Mater Dei Catholic has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will face off against the Otay Ranch Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Mater Dei Catholic is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Mater Dei Catholic stacked a 13th blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by an 8-0 margin over Eastlake. That's two games straight that Mater Dei Catholic has won by exactly eight runs.
Bella Harris was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one triple the last three times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Michaella Salvatierra, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Otay Ranch came up short against Bonita Vista on Wednesday and fell 14-10.
Kaylin Phillips put in work no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching four innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits. Phillips was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Isabel Cintron made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs while going 4-for-5. Kalina Sangalang was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Mater Dei Catholic's victory was their 17th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 24-3. As for Otay Ranch, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-11.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both team's pitchers. Mater Dei Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .369. However, it's not like Otay Ranch struggles in that department as they've averaged .315. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mater Dei Catholic was able to grind out a solid win over Otay Ranch when the teams last played last Wednesday, winning 7-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for Mater Dei Catholic since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
