The Aitkin Gobblers are taking a road trip to square off against the Mora Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Aitkin's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so Mora's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Aitkin is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Esko just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Monday. They came up short against the Eskomos, falling 7-1. The game marked the Gobblers' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Aitkin saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Samantha Edwards, who went 1-for-2 with one triple. That triple marked the first that Edwards has hit this season.
Meanwhile, Mora made easy work of East Central on Monday and carried off a 14-7 win. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won six matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Aubrey Athey was a major factor no matter where she played. She pitched 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Athey was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Mora got a massive performance out of Ava Olson, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and one double. Those two stolen bases gave Olson a new career-high. Rhiannon Ashworth was another key player, going 3-for-5 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Mora always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .575. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
The victory made it two in a row for Mora and bumps their season record up to 9-6. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Aitkin, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-2.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Aitkin has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .515. However, it's not like Mora struggles in that department as they've averaged .453. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Aitkin was able to grind out a solid victory over Mora when the teams last played back in April, winning 12-8. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Gobblers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
