A feisty cat fight will be fought as Aledo Bearcats take on Fossil Ridge Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Aledo 1.9, Fossil Ridge 3.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Fossil Ridge will be up against a hot Aledo team: the squad just extended their winning streak to five. Aledo put the hurt on Chisholm Trail with a sharp 12-2 win on Tuesday. Considering the Bearcats have won six contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
LILY HECKATHORN looked comfortable as she struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Aledo let BRELEIGH MAYER and MARINA TAVERAS run wild. MAYER went 2-for-4 with one home run, two RBI, and one double, while TAVERAS scored two runs while going 3-for-3. That's the most RBI MAYER has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was JORDYN EDINGTON, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-4.
Aledo hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most four strikeouts in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Fossil Ridge was able to grind out a solid victory over Brewer on Tuesday, taking the game 10-5.
The team relied heavily on Sam Francis, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. That home run was her first of the season. Callie Mauppin was another key player, scoring three runs while going 1-for-3.
Fossil Ridge is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven games. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-2-1 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games. Aledo's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-2.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Aledo has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .435. However, it's not like Fossil Ridge struggles in that department as they've averaged .450. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Aledo took their victory against Fossil Ridge when the teams last played back in February of 2020 by a conclusive 13-3. Does Aledo have another victory up their sleeve, or will Fossil Ridge turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
