The Argonaut Mustangs will challenge the Liberty Ranch Hawks at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Argonaut barely beat Union Mine the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Argonaut was the clear victor by a 15-3 margin over Union Mine on Thursday. Considering the Mustangs have won three matches by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Hailey Dewald made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, AJ Schultz was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, two triples, and four RBI. Gia Stone was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Argonaut always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .588. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Liberty Ranch, who bounced back after a loss on the road on March 4th. They blew past Kennedy 12-2 two weeks ago. Considering the Hawks' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Laura Quinn spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on seven hits and racked up seven Ks. Those seven strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
On the hitting side, Liberty Ranch got a massive performance out of Paityn Snow, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. Those RBI were Snow's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Mariella Granata, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
The victory made it two in a row for Argonaut and bumps their season record up to 6-2. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 6 runs in those games. As for Liberty Ranch, with the victory, they broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 2-3.
Liberty Ranch's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Argonaut has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .469. It's a different story for Liberty Ranch, though, as they've only averaged .356. Will they be able to contain Argonaut's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
