Port Neches-Groves hasn't had much luck against Santa Fe recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. Port Neches-Groves will head out to challenge Santa Fe at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Port Neches-Groves took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They came out on top against Beaumont United by a score of 11-1 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). The Indians haven't had any issues with the Timberwolves recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Port Neches-Groves let Addy Brent and Kiana Ledoux run wild. Brent got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base, while Ledoux went 1-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Jardin Cunningham was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three RBI.
Meanwhile, Santa Fe waltzed into their game on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. Everything went their way against the Pioneers as they made off with a 13-3 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Indians considering their two-run performance the match before.
Carlie Hrncir made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Hrncir was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Katelynn Torres was a standout: she fired off two home runs and three runs while going 2-for-3. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Madelyne Baulis, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
Santa Fe hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in four consecutive contests.
Port Neches-Groves pushed their record up to 25-4 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Santa Fe, their record now sits at 16-12.
Port Neches-Groves couldn't quite finish off Santa Fe when the teams last played back in April of 2023 and fell 5-3. Can Port Neches-Groves avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
