The Monument Valley Mustangs will venture away from home to face off against the Ganado Hornets at 1:00 p.m. on Monday. Monument Valley has given up an average of 8 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.
Monument Valley lost 13-3 to Blue Ridge on Tuesday.
Monument Valley saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lenaya Chief, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double. Hailey Etsitty also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Ganado came into Monday's matchup having lost five straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. Everything went their way against Valley on Monday as Ganado made off with a 21-1 win. Considering the Hornets' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Shawntaya Smith was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. What's more, she posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run, five stolen bases, and three runs.
In other batting news, Tierra Meyers was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing Five bases. while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Shelby Lee was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Ganado always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .743. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Valley only posted an OBP of .107.
Monument Valley now has a losing record of 2-3. As for Ganado, their record is now 2-7.
Ganado's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Monument Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .353. It's a different story for Ganado, though, as they've only averaged .240. Will they be able to contain Monument Valley's hitters?
Everything went Monument Valley's way against Ganado in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, as Monument Valley made off with a 25-6 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Monument Valley since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
