Softball Game Preview: Sierra Chieftains vs. Minarets Mustangs

The Sierra Chieftains will square off against the Minarets Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Sierra is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.

Sierra will bounce into Tuesday's matchup after beating Caruthers, who they had gone 1-6 against in their seven prior meetings. Sierra walked away with a 10-5 win over Caruthers on Friday. The game was the first time the Chieftains have beaten the Blue Raiders on their field since March 10, 2017.

Addy Carrillo made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances.

Abby Bays

Hits (Career)

03/28/25 @ Caruthers	4
03/25/25 vs Riverdale	3
03/22/25 @ Minarets	3
02/26/25 vs Mendota	3
04/11/24 vs Caruthers	3

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Abby Bays, who scored two runs while going 4-for-5. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Lexie Valle was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.

Sierra was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .525. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.

Meanwhile, Minarets was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They lost 28-1 to Fowler. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Mustangs have suffered since February 26th.

Sierra has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. Minarets' loss dropped their record down to 3-6.

Sierra beat Minarets 11-6 when the teams last played on Saturday. Will Sierra repeat their success, or does Minarets has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.