The Americas Trail Blazers will square off against the Parkland Matadors at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Americas is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season.
If Americas beats Parkland with 17 runs on Saturday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. Americas beat Horizon on Friday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 17-2. The win was nothing new for the Trail Blazers as they're now sitting on three straight.
The team relied heavily on Odalys Solis, who scored three runs while going 1-for-2. That's the most runs she has posted since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Suri Flores, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Americas hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are 10-4 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Parkland, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They won by a run and slipped past El Dorado 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Matadors have posted against the Aztecs since March 5, 2021.
Samantha Martinez made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Faith Avila was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. Lyric Batie was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Parkland is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-11 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. Americas' victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-13.
Saturday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Americas has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .453. However, it's not like Parkland struggles in that department as they've averaged .491. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Americas' way against Parkland when the teams last played back in February of 2024, as Americas made off with a 10-4 win. Will Americas repeat their success, or does Parkland has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
