The Lubbock-Cooper Pirates will square off against the Amarillo Sandies at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Lubbock-Cooper sitting on 16 straight wins and Amarillo on three.
Lubbock-Cooper is returning to their home field after beating Monterey on theirs, despite the fact Monterey has dominated at home this season. The Pirates were the clear victors by a 15-7 margin over the Plainsmen on Tuesday. Considering the Pirates have won 19 matches by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Lubbock-Cooper let Addison Gunset and Tatum Southard run wild. Gunset got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and four RBI, while Southard went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs Gunset has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Lydia Pesterfield, who scored two runs while going 3-for-5.
They weren't the only one making solid contact: Lubbock-Cooper kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in eight consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Amarillo was able to grind out a solid victory over Monterey on Friday, taking the game 11-7.
Mykaela Samuels made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 18 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.
In other batting news, Brianna Cloud was excellent, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double. Brylee Baker was another key player, scoring three runs while going 3-for-4.
Lubbock-Cooper pushed their record up to 24-4 with the win, which was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.6 runs over those games. As for Amarillo, their win bumped their record up to 22-8-1.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Lubbock-Cooper has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .523. However, it's not like Amarillo struggles in that department as they've averaged .557. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lubbock-Cooper took their victory against Amarillo when the teams last played back in March by a conclusive 13-1 score. Will the Pirates repeat their success, or do the Sandies have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
