Softball Game Preview: American Fork Cavemen vs. Mountain Ridge Sentinels

American Fork is 0-3 against Mountain Ridge since May of 2023 but things could change on Monday. The Cavemen will venture away from home to square off against the Sentinels at 3:30 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.

American Fork is headed into Monday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their ninth straight game on Thursday. They fell 7-2 to Lehi.

American Fork saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kassidy Naylor, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Meanwhile, Mountain Ridge faced Lehi in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Sentinels came up short against the Pioneers, falling 17-7. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Sentinels, who until this match were averaging 3.83 runs allowed.

Tatyana Toala made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with four stolen bases and four runs. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Kelli Christiansen, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI.

American Fork's defeat dropped their record down to 8-18. As for Mountain Ridge, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 19-4.

Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. American Fork hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. However, it's not like Mountain Ridge struggles in that department as they've averaged .399. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

American Fork might still be hurting after the 13-2 loss they got from Mountain Ridge in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Cavemen avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.