Softball Game Preview: Kennedy Golden Cougars vs. Arleta Mustangs

Kennedy is a perfect 5-0 against Arleta since March of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Wednesday. The Golden Cougars will be playing at home against the Mustangs at 3:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Kennedy has six straight victories, Arleta has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Kennedy took a ten-run defeat the last time they faced off against Valencia, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Golden Cougars narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Vikings 9-8.

Natalia Duarte was excellent, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one stolen base and one run. Sofia Melgoza was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Arleta suffered their closest loss since April 10th on Friday. They fell just short of Verdugo Hills by a score of 8-6.

DEZIREE GARCIA was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and two RBI. Another player making a difference was BRYGETTE RAYGOZA, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.

Arleta's defeat dropped their record down to 7-14. As for Kennedy, the victory got them back to even at 9-9.

Arleta's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Wednesday. Kennedy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Arleta, though, as they've been averaging only 3.2 strikeouts. Will Kennedy keep running through batters, or will the Mustangs buck the trend?

Kennedy was able to grind out a solid win over Arleta in their previous meeting back in April, winning 7-2. Will the Golden Cougars repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.