The Mariposa County Grizzlies will head out to take on the Le Grand Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Mariposa County comes in on five and Le Grand on four.
On Monday, Mariposa County earned a 6-1 win over Stone Ridge Christian.
Hailey Hatcher made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kallie Wass, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Le Grand never let their opponents score on Monday. They put the hurt on Gustine with a sharp 17-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who have now won 15 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Mariposa County, Le Grand also got a great game from a two-way player: Ava Avila. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Avila was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Crystal Manzo was incredible, going 3-for-5 with five RBI, two runs, and one triple. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Elisa Angel was another key player, going 2-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Le Grand was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. They are a perfect 12-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Le Grand pushed their record up to 17-6 with the win, which was their eighth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.0 runs over those games. As for Mariposa County, their record now sits at 18-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mariposa County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Le Grand struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Mariposa County suffered a grim 14-2 defeat to Le Grand in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Grizzlies avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
