The Capital Jaguars will venture away from home to square off against the La Cueva Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Capital has given up an average of 8.2 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Saturday just wasn't the day for Capital's offense. They lost 20-0 to Sandia on Saturday. Having soared to a lofty ten runs in the game before, the Jaguars' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Meanwhile, La Cueva had already won 14 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14.8 runs) and they went ahead and made it 15 on Saturday. They didn't even let the Demons on the board, marking their second-straight 15-0 shutout. Give the Bears' pitching crew some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.
Liliana Montoya made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brooklyn Eardley, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Elizabeth Hoggan was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
La Cueva was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .722. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .333 or higher in 16 consecutive games.
La Cueva pushed their record up to 19-3 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.4 runs on average over those games. As for Capital, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 12-10-1 record this season.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Capital hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .396. However, it's not like La Cueva struggles in that department as they've averaged .481. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Capital suffered a grim 20-0 defeat to La Cueva when the teams last played last Saturday. Can the Jaguars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
