The Jourdanton Indians/Squaws will square off against the Natalia Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Jourdanton is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Devine just ended the team's nine-game winning streak on Monday. They took an 8-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Warhorses. Indians/Squaws fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Warhorses since on Monday.
Jourdanton saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Megan Salazar, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run.
Meanwhile, Natalia waltzed into their game on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They blew past the Coyotes/Lobos (for girls) 12-2. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won 12 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Arabella Gallegos spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on five hits.
On the hitting side, Natalia got a massive performance out of Ralynn Juarez, who went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those three stolen bases gave Juarez a new career-high. Aryanna Ramirez was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs.
Natalia always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .528. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Uvalde only posted an OBP of .250.
Natalia's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-7-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Jourdanton, their loss dropped their record down to 16-13.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Jourdanton hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. However, it's not like Natalia struggles in that department as they've averaged .380. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Jourdanton's way against Natalia in their previous meeting back in April of 2022, as Jourdanton made off with a 12-0 win. Do the Indians/Squaws have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
