Softball Preview: Mark Keppel Aztecs vs. Bell Gardens Lancers
Mark Keppel has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Bell Gardens Lancers at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. Mark Keppel is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 8.5 runs per game this season.
Mark Keppel is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 18 runs on Tuesday, they were much more limited against Schurr on Thursday. They fell just short of the Spartans by a score of 4-2.
Robyn Guitron was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk). Guitron has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts every time she's pitched this season. Guitron was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Nevaeh Saldivar was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Bell Gardens sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-7 win over Alhambra on Friday.
The team relied heavily on Natalie Soto, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4.
Mark Keppel's record is now 15-7-1. As for Bell Gardens, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a massive bump to their 14-10 record this season.
Bell Gardens' pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Mark Keppel has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .458. It's a different story for Bell Gardens, though, as they've only averaged .343. Will they be able to contain Mark Keppel's hitters?
Mark Keppel took their victory against Bell Gardens in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 13-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Mark Keppel since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
