Vintage has won three straight games at home, while Casa Grande has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Tuesday. The Crushers will welcome the Gauchos at 3:30 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Tuesday.
Casa Grande's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Tuesday: Vintage hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Crushers' pitcher stepped up to hand Sonoma Valley a 10-0 shutout last Friday. With that win, the Crushers brought their scoring average up to 6.5 runs per game.
Angie Rubalcava was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. That stolen base was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Carlee Carter, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Sydney Morton, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two doubles.
Vintage always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .548. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Sonoma Valley only posted an OBP of .118.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Casa Grande). Everything went their way against Justin-Siena on Friday as they made off with a 14-1 victory. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
Like Vintage, Casa Grande also got a great game from a two-way player: Georgia Moss. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, Moss posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 1-for-1 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Evelyn Baca and Lucy Da Roza did most of the damage at the plate: Baca scored two runs while going 2-for-4, while Da Roza scored two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. The dominant performance also gave Baca a new career-high in RBI (three). Veronica Nunez-Miller was another key player, scoring three runs while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.
Vintage's victory bumped their record up to 6-2. As for Casa Grande, their win bumped their record up to 7-3-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Vintage has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Casa Grande struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
