The Coronado Cougars are taking a road trip to face off against the Bishop Gorman Gaels at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Coronado is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nevada's top teams: Southeast Career Tech, who was ranked 19th at the time (Coronado was ranked tenth). The Cougars' pitcher stepped up to hand the Roadrunners an 8-0 shutout on Thursday. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Roadrunners recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
The result came thanks to Sarah Lopez's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Coronado let Alohi Mundon and Bailey Goldberg run wild. Mundon went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Goldberg went 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Sophie Bendlin, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Bishop Gorman got the win against Spring Valley on Thursday by a conclusive 9-3.
MAKAMAE EUGENIO was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, CHARLIE SIMI was excellent, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. SOPHIA KIRKPATRICK was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one triple and two RBI.
Bishop Gorman hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are 11-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Coronado's record now sits at 15-12. As for Bishop Gorman, their record is now 16-11-1.
Monday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Coronado hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .340. However, it's not like Bishop Gorman struggles in that department as they've averaged .347. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Coronado couldn't quite get it done against Bishop Gorman in their previous matchup back in March as they fell 9-5. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
