The Midland Bulldogs will challenge the Mansfield Legacy Broncos at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Midland is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They had just enough and edged out Socorro 6-4. Six seems to be a good number for Midland as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Kamryn Weir spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits.
At the plate, Avrey Ochoa was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Bree Battenfelder, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Saturday Mansfield Legacy sidestepped Southlake Carroll for a 5-4 win.
Natalie Moreaux was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 14 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Hope Gaudio, who went 3-for-4 with one triple and one run.
Mansfield Legacy has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 16 of their last 17 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 26-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Midland, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 29-6.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Midland hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .348. However, it's not like Mansfield Legacy struggles in that department as they've averaged .414. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
