The Dobson Mustangs will venture away from home to face off against the Tolleson Wolverines at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Dobson has struggled recently with 13 losses in a row, while Tolleson will arrive with five straight victories.
Dobson lost 14-7 to Mesa on Thursday.
Nikole Torres made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Natalie Hamblin, who went 2-for-4 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Tolleson). They put the hurt on Valley Vista with a sharp 19-4 win on Thursday. The Wolverines might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 15 matchups by six runs or more this season.
Lilliana Reyes looked comfortable as she tossed 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off three hits. What's more, she posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in March.
At the plate, Tolleson got a massive performance out of Alisson Martinez, who fired off three triples, two stolen bases, and three runs while going 4-for-4. Those three triples gave Martinez a new career-high. Emily Araiza also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triples of the season.
Tolleson was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .633. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .379 or higher in five consecutive games.
Tolleson pushed their record up to 20-5 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Dobson, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-19.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Dobson hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .328. However, it's not like Tolleson struggles in that department as they've averaged .418. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Dobson suffered a grim 9-3 defeat to Tolleson when the teams last played back in April of 2018. Can the Mustangs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
