Softball Preview: Sierra Chieftains vs. Avenal Buccaneers
The Sierra Chieftains will head out on the road to square off against the Avenal Buccaneers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Sierra is no doubt hoping to put an end to a four-game streak of away losses.
Sierra is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They came out on top against Desert by a score of 7-4.
Adriana Carillo made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits. Carillo has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in three consecutive pitching appearances. Carillo was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Kaidence Begaye and Kaelahne Mikesell did most of the damage at the plate: Begaye scored three runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3, while Mikesell went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a triple.
Meanwhile, Avenal had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs), and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They walked away with a 5-1 victory over the Eagles.
Deztiny Hernandez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up 12 Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Layla Lopez, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, a triple, and an RBI. Jesslyn Valle was another key contributor, scoring a run.
Sierra's record is now 12-14. As for Avenal, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 17-9 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Sierra has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Avenal struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
