Softball Preview: Monarch Coyotes vs. Horizon Hawks
Monarch hasn't had much luck against Horizon recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Monarch Coyotes are taking a road trip to challenge the Horizon Hawks at 3:30 p.m. Monarch is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.8 runs per game this season.
Monarch will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Saturday, then bounced right back against Centaurus on Monday. Monarch had just enough and edged Centaurus out 10-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Coyotes have posted since August 20th.
Caroline Katzin was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. The last time her batting average was this high was back in October of 2023. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Kate Church was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-4. Another player making a difference was Bailey Adams, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4.
Monarch was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .308 or higher in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, the third road contest was the charm for Horizon, as they earned their first road win of the season. They put the hurt on Douglas County with a sharp 12-6 win on Saturday. The result was nothing new for the Hawks, who have now won four matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Monarch, Horizon also got a great game from a two-way player: Kaiya Barela. She struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off ten hits. Barela has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive pitching appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, Horizon let Belinda Martinez and Tessa Munsch loose on the outfield. Martinez went 2-for-2 with three RBI, a triple, and a run, while Munsch scored two runs while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Bryanna Fontes, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Monarch now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Horizon, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 5-7 record this season.
Horizon's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Monarch has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.2 hits per game. It's a different story for Horizon, though, as they've been averaging 10.3. Given Monarch's sizable advantage in that area, Horizon will need to find a way to close that gap.
Monarch might still be hurting after the 15-0 loss they got from Horizon in their previous matchup back in August of 2023. Can Monarch 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
