Softball Preview: Palisade Bulldogs vs. Montrose Red Hawks
The Palisade Bulldogs are taking a road trip to take on the Montrose Red Hawks at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Palisade is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9 runs per game this season.
Montrose is hoping to do what Durango couldn't on Saturday: put an end to Palisade's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Palisade put the hurt on Durango with a sharp 9-2 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Bulldogs have posted since August 22nd.
MacKenzie Gray spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on seven hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Madi Gray, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-3. What's more, she also posted a .667 batting average, which is the highestshe's posted since back in August. Another player making a difference was Anaiah Guajardo-Zarate, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and a triple.
Palisade kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now hit at least eight hits in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Montrose, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They were the clear victor by a 15-5 margin over Basalt on Thursday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Red Hawks as it put an end to their six-game losing streak.
Montrose also let their pitcher toss all six innings played and she was also dialed-in: Isabelle Mott gave up three earned (and two unearned) runs on four hits and racked up ten Ks. Those ten strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
On the hitting side, Montrose got a big performance out of Abby Siegel, who scored a run while going 3-for-4. Cheyenne Whitcomb was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Palisade is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a nice bump to their 11-3 record this season. As for Montrose, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-10.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Palisade hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Montrose struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Palisade was able to grind out a solid victory over Montrose in their previous meeting back in August of 2023, winning 9-5. Does Palisade have another victory up their sleeve, or will Montrose turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
