The Santa Fe Indians will challenge HCYA at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
HCYA will be up against a hot Santa Fe squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. Santa Fe was the clear victor by a 15-2 margin over Iowa Colony on Tuesday. With that victory, the Indians brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Mallory Richardson made a splash while hitting and pitching. She tossed 3.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
In other pitching news, Aubrey Withers looked comfortable as she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Furthermore, she didn't allow a single walk, the first time she has blanked an opponent since back in February.
Back at the plate, Madelyne Baulis was a standout: she got on base in four of her five plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in February of 2024. Katelynn Torres was another key player, going 3-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Santa Fe kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when HCYA and Kinkaid meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. HCYA put the hurt on Kinkaid with a sharp 18-5 win. HCYA has beaten Kinkaid the last five times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest Kinkaid has come to flipping the script.
The team relied heavily on Sarah Horne, who fired off four home runs, 11 RBI, and one double while going 5-for-5. The team also got some help courtesy of Yanaia Scott, who went 4-for-5 with one home run, four runs, and three RBI.
HCYA's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 21-5-4. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Santa Fe, their victory bumped their record up to 12-10.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Santa Fe hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. However, it's not like HCYA struggles in that department as they've averaged .355. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Santa Fe was able to grind out a solid win over HCYA in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, winning 9-5. Will Santa Fe repeat their success, or does HCYA has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
