The Pinnacle Pioneers will head out to face off against the O'Connor Eagles at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Pinnacle's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over Apollo. Winning may never get old, but the Pioneers sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Sienna Caro was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Bri Smith, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Pinnacle was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .440. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .333 or higher in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask O'Connor). They blew past Shadow Ridge 17-0 on Tuesday. The Eagles have beaten the Stallions the last six times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Stallions has come to flipping the script.
Maci Jones made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, O'Connor let Charleigh Schuettler and Raegan Holtorf run wild. Schuettler went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two doubles, while Holtorf went 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Those four RBI gave Holtorf a new career-high. Sydnee Williams was another key player, scoring three runs while going 3-for-4.
O'Connor pushed their record up to 17-7 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Pinnacle, their record now sits at 11-6-1.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Pinnacle has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .474. However, it's not like O'Connor struggles in that department as they've averaged .450. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pinnacle beat O'Connor 14-10 in their previous meeting two weeks ago. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pioneers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
