The Pioneer Mustangs will head out to face off against the Independence 76ers at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Pioneer has three straight wins, Independence has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Pioneer had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt Del Mar on Tuesday. The Mustangs blew past the Dons 18-8. Considering the Mustangs have won eight games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Gia Amador
| 05/12/26 vs Del Mar | 3 |
| 05/07/26 @ Silver Creek | 3 |
| 05/05/26 vs Prospect | 3 |
Gia Amador was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. She has been hot recently, having posted three or more hits the last three times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Kassandra Andalon, who went 2-for-5 with four RBI and two runs.
Meanwhile, Independence fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Silver Creek on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Raiders by a score of 9-7.
Julieta Ramirez spent all 7.1 innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered seven earned (and two unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up 14 Ks.
On the hitting side, Skylar Crowell was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Lili Rodriguez, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Pioneer's victory bumped their record up to 9-15. As for Independence, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-12.
Pioneer couldn't quite get it done against Independence when the teams last played back in April as they fell 8-4. Can the Mustangs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
