Softball Preview: Shadow Ridge Mustangs vs. Palo Verde Panthers
Shadow Ridge is 9-1 against Palo Verde since May of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Monday. The Shadow Ridge Mustangs will head out on the road to square off against the Palo Verde Panthers at 3:30 p.m. Shadow Ridge will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
Shadow Ridge can now show off seven landslide victories after their most recent match on Thursday. They blew past Bishop Gorman 12-2.
Josslin Law spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Shadow Ridge let Madison Foster and Carmella Garganese loose on the outfield. Foster scored three runs while going 3-for-4, while Garganese scored two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Stevie Robison, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, a triple, and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Palo Verde faced Faith Lutheran in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. Palo Verde came out on top against Faith Lutheran by a score of 7-2.
Haley Kearns looked comfortable as she struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and only one walk). Bradi Odom picked up the save, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (she also didn't allow any walks).
At the plate, Taylor Johns was incredible, going 1-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and a stolen base. Another player making a difference was Alexis Kearnes, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
Shadow Ridge's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-3. They've been dominating during the matchups in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 11.7 runs. As for Palo Verde, their victory bumped their record up to 10-2.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Shadow Ridge has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .431. However, it's not like Palo Verde struggles in that department as they've averaged .527. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Shadow Ridge's way against Palo Verde when the teams last played back in May of 2023 as Shadow Ridge made off with a 13-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Shadow Ridge since the squad 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
