The Rancho Rams will face off against the Spring Valley Grizzlies at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Rancho is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
Rancho is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They walked away with a 16-11 victory over Cimarron-Memorial. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Rams considering their two-run performance the game before.
Brooklynn Braun
| 05/09/25 vs Cimarron-Memorial | 12 |
| 05/08/25 vs Basic | 12 |
| 05/07/25 vs Mojave | 10 |
| 04/29/25 @ Durango | 9 |
| 04/28/25 @ Clark | 11 |
| + 13 more games |
Brooklynn Braun made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 18 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of her five plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, Annalise Stout was incredible, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Alainna Weber, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Rancho kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.9 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 9.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Spring Valley, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Mojave a 19-0 shutout on Friday. The Grizzlies might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 matches by six runs or more this season.
Sophie Bowmer looked comfortable as she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Raelynn Villanueva, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Aubree Holcombe was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Rancho has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. As for Spring Valley, their victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-11.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Rancho has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .445. However, it's not like Spring Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .503. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rancho might still be hurting after the 17-1 loss they got from Spring Valley in their previous matchup back in April. Can the Rams avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
