St. Pius X has enjoyed a four-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will challenge the Artesia Bulldogs at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
St. Pius X is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They put the hurt on Deming with a sharp 15-3 victory.
Aurora Green was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She tossed five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Green has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Green was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, McKayla Cable was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and a run. Gabriella Casco was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Artesia entered their tilt with Bloomfield with six consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with seven. They never let the Bobcats onto the board and left with a 13-0 win on Saturday. Give Artesia's pitching crew some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.
Like St. Pius X, Artesia also got a great game from a two-way player: Kayden Apodaca. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Apodaca was also big at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a home run, four RBI, and a double.
In other pitching news, Katrin Marquez looked comfortable as she tossed an inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Mikenzi Carlo, who went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Kinsley Rodriguez, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
St. Pius X is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 18-5 record this season. As for Artesia, their victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-7.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. St. Pius X has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .564. However, it's not like Artesia struggles in that department as they've averaged .461. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
St. Pius X came up short against Artesia in their previous matchup back in May of 2023, falling 10-6. Can St. Pius X avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
