The Shadow Ridge Mustangs will head out on the road to face off against the Coronado Cougars at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Shadow Ridge's pitching crew has only allowed 3.3 runs per game this season, so Coronado's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Shadow Ridge is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nevada's top teams: Palo Verde, who was ranked first at the time (Shadow Ridge was ranked second). Shadow Ridge fell just short of Palo Verde by a score of 11-9 on Monday. The Mustangs' loss signaled the end of their seven-game winning streak.
Madison Foster was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that she launched this season. Another player making a difference was Rosely Hensley-Mokiao, who scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Foster wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Shadow Ridge kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 21 runs the game before, Coronado was a bit more limited in their match on Monday. They came up short against Centennial, falling 14-2. Like the Mustangs, the Cougars also had to let a streak go: they had won four straight, but that streak is no more.
Coronado saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Bailey Goldberg, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2. Goldberg is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played.
Shadow Ridge suffered their first home defeat, dropping their record down to 8-2. As for Coronado, their loss dropped their record down to 9-8.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Shadow Ridge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .444. However, it's not like Coronado struggles in that department as they've averaged .358. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Shadow Ridge couldn't quite finish off Coronado in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 and fell 4-2. Can Shadow Ridge avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
