Taft and Odem are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2021, but likely not for long. The Greyhounds will head out to square off against the Owls at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Taft knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past three games -- so hopefully Odem likes a good challenge.
Last Tuesday, Taft made easy work of West Oso and carried off a 13-3 win. The result was nothing new for the Greyhounds, who have now won ten matches by eight runs or more so far this season.
Josette Aparicio
| 04/08/25 vs West Oso | 3 |
| 04/01/25 @ Aransas Pass | 2 |
| 03/14/25 vs Aransas Pass | 2 |
| 03/04/25 vs Kaufer | 2 |
| 04/04/25 @ George West | 1 |
Josette Aparicio was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Those three runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Taft got a massive performance out of Jewelysa Garcia, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-4. Garcia also put up a triple, which was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Juliana Alaniz, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Taft was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .385 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Odem unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Tuesday. They fell just short of Mathis by a score of 11-10.
Like Taft, Odem also got a great game from a two-way player: Aria Bray. She struck out seven batters over 6.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and nine unearned) runs off 11 hits. Bray was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, Alyssa Spurlock made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Taft is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-8 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Odem, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-14.
Odem's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Taft hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .369. It's a different story for Odem, though, as they've only averaged .247. Will they be able to contain Taft's hitters?
Taft came out on top in a nail-biter against Odem in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 10-9. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Greyhounds since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
