Softball Preview: Gilroy Mustangs vs. Branham Bruins
The Gilroy Mustangs will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Branham Bruins at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Branham is hoping to do on Friday what Ann Sobrato couldn't on Wednesday: put an end to Gilroy's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Gilroy never let Ann Sobrato onto the board and left with a 12-0 win. Gilroy's victory was all the more impressive since Ann Sobrato was averaging only 3.21 runs allowed on the season.
Not much got past Ariela Yslava, who gave up just two hits and racked up seven Ks to keep Ann Sobrato off the board. Yslava has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in five consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Bam Mendoza, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Jocelyn Ta was another key contributor, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Branham entered their tilt with Live Oak with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They blew past the Acorns 9-3.
Jacqueline Connolly Hojas spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on three hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, Branham saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alexis Bojorquez-nava, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Abigail Fales, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
Gilroy is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 16-5 record this season. As for Branham, their win bumped their record up to 15-7.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Gilroy hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Branham struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.5. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Gilroy suffered a grim 10-3 defeat to Branham in their previous matchup back in March. Will Gilroy have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
