The Golden Valley Cougars will venture away from home to square off against the Los Banos Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Golden Valley barely beat El Capitan the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Cougars put the hurt on the Gauchos with a sharp 12-2 win on Thursday. The victory continues a trend for the Cougars in their matchups with the Gauchos: they've now won five in a row.
Savanna Benc made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over 4.2 innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Golden Valley got a big performance out of Allie Minor, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Alanni Cienfuegos also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Golden Valley hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are 4-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Los Banos can bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 15-3 margin over Buhach Colony.
Like Golden Valley, Los Banos also got a great game from a two-way player: Mya Arista. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Arista was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Avery Vierra was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. Mikayla Arista was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Golden Valley's record is now 9-12. As for Los Banos, their record now sits at 8-11.
Golden Valley came out on top in a nail-biter against Los Banos in their previous meeting last Tuesday, sneaking past 4-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
