The San Manuel Miners will head out to challenge the Superior Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. San Manuel is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.1 runs per game this season.
San Manuel easily dispatched Baboquivari on Tuesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Miners fell just short of Maryvale by a score of 10-8 on Wednesday.
Laila Ruiz
| 04/16/25 @ Maryvale | 1 |
| 04/04/25 vs Mogollon | 1 |
| 04/04/25 vs Mogollon | 1 |
| 03/28/25 @ Hayden | 1 |
| 03/25/25 vs Superior | 1 |
Brianna Ivy and Laila Ruiz stepped up to the plate in a big way. Ivy got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI, while Ruiz went a perfect 4-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. Ruiz is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Cienna Maghinay, who went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Superior had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12.6 runs) and they went ahead and made it nine on Wednesday. They never let the Spartans get on the board and left with a 9-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won 12 games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Alyna Cruz made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 16 over seven innings pitched. Those 16 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles.
In other batting news, Faith Denogean was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. Lilliana Fritz was another key player, getting on base in two of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Superior hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in seven consecutive matches.
Superior pushed their record up to 14-6 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.8 runs over those games. As for San Manuel, their loss dropped their record down to 5-9.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. San Manuel has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .520. However, it's not like Superior struggles in that department as they've averaged .497. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
San Manuel beat Superior 10-6 when the teams last played back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Miners since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
