Softball Preview: Albany Cougars vs. Pinole Valley Spartans
The Albany Cougars will be playing in front of their home fans against the Pinole Valley Spartans at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Albany lost 12-5 to Salesian College Preparatory last Thursday. Albany has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Mackenzie Marion made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Jasmine Araica was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
Even though they lost, Albany didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with nine strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Salesian College Preparatory only tossed four.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Pinole Valley gave their fans yet another huge win on Friday. They put the hurt on El Cerrito with a sharp 7-1 victory.
Jalyssa Elliott spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Pinole Valley let Ayla Serrano and Julissa Sanchez loose on the outfield. Serrano went 1-for-2 with two runs, a triple, and an RBI, while Sanchez scored two runs and stole four bases while going 1-for-2. Sanchez has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last seven times she's played. Another player making a difference was Jennifer Ramirez, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Albany's loss dropped their record down to 7-10. As for Pinole Valley, their win bumped their record up to 10-8-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Albany has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Pinole Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.9. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Albany took their victory against Pinole Valley in their previous meeting back in April by a conclusive 9-0. Will Albany repeat their success, or does Pinole Valley have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
