For the second straight game, Murrieta Mesa will face off against Murrieta Valley. The Rams will square off against the Nighthawks at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Murrieta Mesa will come into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Murrieta Valley's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Thursday: Murrieta Mesa hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Rams' pitchers stepped up to hand the Nighthawks a 13-0 shutout on Tuesday. Considering the Rams have won 11 matchups by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Lilly Hauser and Tatum Wolff made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Hauser struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Wolff pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Hauser has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season. At bat, Hauser went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double, while Wolff went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Finlee Angle was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Jaylene Guadagnolo, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Murrieta Mesa always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .676. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Murrieta Valley's loss dropped their record down to 8-6. As for Murrieta Mesa, their record is now 17-0.
Murrieta Valley's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Murrieta Mesa has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.8 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Murrieta Valley, though, as they've been averaging only 3.1 strikeouts. Will Murrieta Mesa keep running through batters, or will the Nighthawks buck the trend? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
