Dimond has enjoyed the comforts of home their last four games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the Chugiak Mustangs at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Dimond is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: South Anchorage, who was ranked fourth in their home state at the time (Dimond was ranked seventh). Dimond had just enough and edged South Anchorage out 5-4.
Alaina Reynolds spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Chloe Severson, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2. Another player making a difference was Rachel Whetten, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double.
Meanwhile, Chugiak entered their tilt with Bartlett with six consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with seven. They were the clear victor by a 16-0 margin over the Golden Bears on Friday. Considering Chugiak has won eight matches by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Abigail Lanehart was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Lanehart was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and five RBI.
In other batting news, Chugiak got a massive performance out of Megan Traxinger, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3. Yanessa Rodriguez was another key contributor, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
Dimond has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season. As for Chugiak, their victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-3.
Saturday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Dimond hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .417. However, it's not like Chugiak struggles in that department as they've averaged .354. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Dimond beat Chugiak 12-7 when the teams last played back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for Dimond since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
