The Foothill Mustangs will head out on the road to square off against the Natomas Nighthawks at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
On Tuesday, Foothill suffered a tough 19-7 loss at the hands of Cordova.
Lei'Aani Topasna Diaz made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Mercede Averett, who scored two runs while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Natomas was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They fell victim to a rough 17-9 loss at the hands of West Campus.
Danielle Benson put in work while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and nine unearned) runs off four hits. Benson has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. Benson was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
In other batting news, My'Auni Brown led a balanced group of hitters, going 2-for-4 with four RBI and a double. Leah Briles was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Even though they lost, Natomas always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. That's the best OBP they've managed all season.
Foothill has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-4 record this season. As for Natomas, their record now sits at 1-4.
Natomas' pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Foothill hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .426. It's a different story for Natomas, though, as they've only averaged .236. Will they be able to contain Foothill's hitters?
Foothill took their victory against Natomas in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 20-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for Foothill since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
