The Southwest SD Raiders are taking a road trip to take on the San Ysidro Cougars at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. San Ysidro took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Southwest SD, who comes in off a win.
Southwest SD will roll into the match after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Wednesday, then bounced right back against Castle Park on Tuesday. The Raiders were the clear victors by an 18-5 margin over the Trojans. Considering the Raiders have won eight contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Daniela Nieto made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Nieto was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Southwest SD got a massive performance out of Baila Mu?oz, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs and three doubles. Those three doubles gave Mu?oz a new career-high. Michelle Rodriguez also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Southwest SD kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 29 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in 11 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, San Ysidro was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They took a 9-6 hit to the loss column at the hands of Sweetwater.
Lizette Herrera was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Mary Ellen Valenzuela, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Southwest SD's win was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 9-6. As for San Ysidro, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-8.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Southwest SD hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .450. However, it's not like San Ysidro struggles in that department as they've averaged .459. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Southwest SD suffered a grim 22-10 defeat to San Ysidro in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Can the Raiders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
