Mallard Creek is 9-1 against Hopewell since April of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Mallard Creek Mavericks will be playing at home against the Hopewell Titans at 5:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mallard Creek had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 22 runs), and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Lions a 21-0 shutout.
Alondra Rivera-Maldonado made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Rivera-Maldonado has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. Rivera-Maldonado was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with four runs, three RBI, and a triple.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ava Parkerson, who went 3-for-4 with four runs and four RBI. Mena Kuzara was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
Hopewell never got on the board in their matchup two weeks ago, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Harding University two weeks ago. They blew past the Rams 17-2.
Samantha Jones was a standout: she scored two runs while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Mariah Jackson, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-1.
Mallard Creek's victory bumped their record up to 6-4. As for Hopewell, their win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-3.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Mallard Creek has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .502. However, it's not like Hopewell 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.
Mallard Creek took their victory against Hopewell when the teams last played back in March by a conclusive 13-2. Will Mallard Creek repeat their success, or does Hopewell have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
