Softball Preview: Artesia Bulldogs vs. Lovington Wildcats
Artesia and Lovington are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2022, but likely not for long. The Artesia Bulldogs will be staying on the road on Tuesday to face off against the Lovington Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Artesia's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. Everything went their way against Goddard as Artesia made off with a 10-0 win.
Madison Martinez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Martinez has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Martinez was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Kayden Apodaca was incredible, going 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. Mikenzi Carlo was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Lovington entered their tilt with Portales with nine consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with ten. They blew past the Rams 10-0.
Not much got past Sabrie Sanchez, who gave up just four hits and racked up seven Ks to keep Portales off the board.
On the hitting side, Lovington let Jocelynn Holguin and Zabri Rodriguez loose on the outfield. Holguin went 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBI, and a stolen base, while Rodriguez went 2-for-2 with a home run and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Zemarie Ellis, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Artesia is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 13 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 15-7 record this season. As for Lovington, they pushed their record up to 20-3 with that victory, which was their fourth straight at home.
Tuesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Artesia has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .455. However, it's not like Lovington struggles in that department as they've averaged .452. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
