Softball Preview: Artesia Bulldogs vs. Lovington Wildcats
Artesia is on a seven-game streak of home wins, while Lovington is on a ten-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Artesia Bulldogs will take on the Lovington Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The pair have allowed few runs on average, (Artesia: 1.9, Lovington: 2.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
In what's become a running theme this season, Artesia gave their fans yet another huge win on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Goddard a 14-0 shutout. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Artesia considering their one-run performance the contest before.
Not much got past Kayden Apodaca, who gave up just one hit and racked up seven Ks to keep Goddard off the board. Apodaca has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, McKenna Morrison was a standout: she scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Zowe Warren was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Lovington narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Portales 3-1.
Daphne Utajara spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up 13 Ks.
On the hitting side, Jocelynn Holguin was excellent, going 2-for-2 with two RBI.
Artesia is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 12-5 record this season. As for Lovington, their win bumped their record up to 15-3.
Friday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Artesia hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .377. However, it's not like Lovington struggles in that department as they've averaged .383. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Artesia couldn't quite finish off Lovington in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 and fell 5-3. Can Artesia avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
