Muleshoe is 2-8 against Shallowater since April of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Mules will venture away from home to face off against the Mustangs at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Shallowater will be up against a hot Muleshoe team: the squad just extended their winning streak to 13. The Mules were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over Dimmitt on Tuesday.
Adalie Agundis was a standout: she scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2. Heaven McMullen was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, Shallowater won against Dimmitt last Tuesday with 16 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. The Mustangs blew past Idalou 16-2. The Mustangs haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Gracie Banks made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 13 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Shallowater let Kassidy Dutra and Phoenix Navejar run wild. Dutra went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Navejar went 3-for-5 with one triple, one run, and one double. That triple was Navejar's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Kaylee Olivo, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Shallowater hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive games.
Muleshoe's win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-6. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Shallowater, their record now sits at 16-6.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Muleshoe hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .469. However, it's not like Shallowater struggles in that department as they've averaged .476. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Muleshoe skirted past Shallowater 2-1 in their previous meeting back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mules since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
