The Onaga Buffaloes will challenge the Doniphan West Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Doniphan West will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Onaga extended their winning streak to five on Thursday. The Buffaloes never let Pleasant Ridge get on the board and left with a 13-0 victory. Surprisingly, this marked the Buffaloes' sixth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Willow Hochstedler was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Onaga let Addison DeChant and Annie Force run wild. DeChant went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double, while Force went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Abbie Ringel, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Onaga kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in five consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Doniphan West). Everything went their way against Troy two weeks ago as they made off with a 16-6 win.
Like Onaga, Doniphan West also got a great game from a two-way player: Clara Feighner. On the mound, she struck out 12 batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk). Feighner was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and two RBI.
In other batting news, Doniphan West got a massive performance out of Brennah Edie, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those stolen bases marked the first that Edie has snagged this season. Brooklyn Rawles was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
Onaga pushed their record up to 11-3 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Doniphan West, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Doniphan West's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Onaga has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.1 hits per game. It's a different story for Doniphan West, though, as they've been averaging 9 hits. Given Onaga's sizable advantage in that area, the Mustangs will need to find a way to close that gap.
Onaga skirted past Doniphan West 5-3 when the teams last played back in March. Do the Buffaloes have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
