The Doniphan West Mustangs are taking a road trip to face off against the Onaga Buffaloes at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Doniphan West can't be too worried about heading out to take on Onaga: they just beat Troy at home, who had been dominant on their own field up to that point. The Mustangs blew past the Trojans 16-6 two weeks ago. The Mustangs' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Clara Feighner
| 04/03/25 @ Troy | 12 |
| 04/03/25 @ Troy | 13 |
| 03/31/25 vs Onaga | 6 |
| 03/31/25 vs Onaga | 13 |
Clara Feighner made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and two RBI.
In other batting news, Doniphan West got a massive performance out of Brennah Edie, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those stolen bases marked the first that Edie has snagged this season. Another player making a difference was Brooklyn Rawles, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
Doniphan West always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Onaga came tearing into Thursday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Rams a 13-0 shutout. Surprisingly, this marked the Buffaloes' sixth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Like Doniphan West, Onaga also got a great game from a two-way player: Willow Hochstedler. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Hochstedler was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Addison DeChant and Annie Force did most of the damage at the plate: DeChant went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double, while Force went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Abbie Ringel was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Onaga's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-3. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Doniphan West, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Doniphan West has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 11 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Onaga struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Doniphan West couldn't quite finish off Onaga when the teams last played back in March and fell 5-3. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
