The Healdsburg Greyhounds will venture away from home to face off against the Piner Prospectors at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Piner took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Healdsburg, who comes in off a win.
Healdsburg's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by an 11-0 margin over Montgomery. The Greyhounds might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight contests by eight runs or more this season.
The result came thanks to Mia Halvorsen's shutout, as she gave up just four hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, Healdsburg got a big performance out of Hannah Sellards, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases Sellards has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Celia Vallotton, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Healdsburg kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, after a string of five wins, Piner's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They came up short against Ukiah, falling 12-4. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Mialynn Membrilla was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Membrilla was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three doubles, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Membrilla wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Briana Sanchez, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run.
Healdsburg's record now sits at 10-7. As for Piner, their loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 5-1 and their overall record down to 9-9.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Healdsburg has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .433. However, it's not like Piner struggles in that department as they've averaged .470. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Healdsburg might still be hurting after the 12-1 defeat they got from Piner in their previous meeting on April 2nd. Can the Greyhounds avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
