Austin is 0-8 against Riverside since February of 2017 but things could change on Thursday. The Panthers will challenge the Rangers at 6:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Austin took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Irvin with a sharp 19-5 win. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Rockets recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Ruby Salazar
| 04/15/25 vs Irvin | 11 |
| 04/11/25 @ Young Women's STEAM Research & Preparatory Academy | 8 |
| 04/09/25 vs Bowie | 10 |
| 04/04/25 @ Ysleta | 4 |
| 03/28/25 @ Irvin | 4 |
| + 9 more games |
Ruby Salazar made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in February. She was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of her five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Austin got a massive performance out of Ayumi Ruben, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. That hit marked the first that Ruben got this season. Aileen Montero was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Austin hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Irvin struck out 11 times.
Meanwhile, Riverside got themselves on the board against Bowie on Tuesday, but Bowie never followed suit. They blew past the Bears 15-0. The win was nothing new for the Rangers as they're now sitting on five straight.
Like Austin, Riverside also got a great game from a two-way player: Zoey Quintana. She pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Quintana was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Julie Muniz, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Mandy Contreras, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Riverside's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-12. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.7 runs over those games. As for Austin, the victory was their first at home , bumping their record up to 10-15.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Austin has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .458. However, it's not like Riverside struggles in that department as they've averaged .535. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Austin might still be hurting after the 15-0 defeat they got from Riverside when the teams last played two weeks ago. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
