The Le Grand Bulldogs will venture away from home to face off against the Chowchilla Tribe at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Chowchilla will be up against a hot Le Grand team: the squad just extended their winning streak to five. The Bulldogs were the clear victors by a 9-3 margin over Mariposa County on Wednesday.
Ava Avila was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 23 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Karly Reyes, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Makayla Leyva was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Le Grand always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .552. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mariposa County only posted an OBP of .111.
Chowchilla hadn't beaten Yosemite on the road since May 10, 2022 but that history sure didn't bother them on Tuesday. The Tribe put the hurt on the Badgers with a sharp 21-3 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Tribe.
Like Le Grand, Chowchilla also got a great game from a two-way player: Heaven Moore. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits. Moore was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Chowchilla got a massive performance out of Lexyss Sabin, who fired off two home runs and nine RBI while going 4-for-4. Those home runs marked the first that Sabin has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Avery Tomlinson, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, four runs, and one triple.
Le Grand pushed their record up to 19-6 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.6 runs on average over those games. As for Chowchilla, their record now sits at 13-9.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Le Grand hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .390. However, it's not like Chowchilla struggles in that department as they've averaged .374. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Le Grand came up short against Chowchilla when the teams last played back in March of 2019, falling 4-1. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
