The Coronado Mustangs will venture away from home to square off against the Tascosa Rebels at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Coronado has given up an average of 12.5 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Coronado couldn't beat Lubbock on Tuesday even though they stacked four runs on them in the third inning. The Mustangs came up short against the Westerners, falling 16-6. The Mustangs haven't had much luck with the Westerners recently, as the team has come up short the last four times they've met.
Coronado saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alli Garcia, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. Another was Lexi Jones, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Tascosa). They put the hurt on Palo Duro with a sharp 27-1 win on Tuesday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Rebels as it spelled an end to their five-game losing streak.
Christmas Morris tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 26 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Rylin Pilgrim, who fired off two home runs, four runs, and five RBI while going 4-for-4. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Vanessa Langeland was another key player, going 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI.
Tascosa was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .548. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in four consecutive contests.
Coronado's defeat dropped their record down to 5-19. As for Tascosa, their record is now 14-20-1.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Coronado hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .365. However, it's not like Tascosa struggles in that department as they've averaged .322. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Coronado came out on top in a nail-biter against Tascosa in their previous meeting back in March, sneaking past 12-11. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
