The Ray Bearcats will head out to challenge the Superior Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Ray has given up an average of 12.1 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Ray lost 18-1 to Mogollon on Friday. The Bearcats have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Ray saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Julissa Garcia, who scored a run while going 1-for-1.
Meanwhile, Superior waltzed into their match on Saturday with six straight wins... but they left with seven. They blew past the Longhorns 18-3. That's two games straight that the Panthers have won by exactly 15 runs.
Alyna Cruz made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Lilliana Fritz was a standout: she scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Kadynce Toner, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Superior always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .613. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .605 or higher in four consecutive games.
Superior pushed their record up to 12-5 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.8 runs over those games. As for Ray, their loss dropped their record down to 8-14.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Ray has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Superior struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Ray might still be hurting after the 16-4 defeat they got from Superior in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Bearcats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
