The Argonaut Mustangs will square off against the Liberty Ranch Hawks at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Argonaut sitting on seven straight victories and Liberty Ranch on four.
Argonaut came out on top against Union Mine on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run first inning. The Mustangs were the clear victors by an 8-1 margin over the Diamondbacks. Considering the Mustangs have won eight matches by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Hailey Dewald spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Bailey Baker was a standout: she got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Gia Stone also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Liberty Ranch ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-8 win over Amador. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Hawks have posted since March 25th.
The team relied heavily on Bella Granata, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Gracyn Graviette was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI.
Liberty Ranch kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in five consecutive games.
Argonaut's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-3. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Liberty Ranch, their record is now 10-5.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Argonaut hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. However, it's not like Liberty Ranch struggles in that department as they've averaged .388. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
