The Atascadero Greyhounds will square off against the Templeton Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Atascadero has struggled recently with four defeats in a row, while Templeton will arrive with nine straight victories.
Orcutt Academy hit Atascadero with a four-run second inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Greyhounds might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 5-2 to the Spartans, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior.
Devyn Dutra was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over 5.1 innings pitched. Dutra was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run and one double.
Meanwhile, Templeton hadn't done well against Paso Robles recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Eagles were the clear victors by a 10-1 margin over the Bearcats. Considering the Eagles have won seven matchups by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Tegan Jay spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Bailey Fiorenza was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. Jessie Branch was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and two RBI.
Templeton pushed their record up to 15-6 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Atascadero, their loss dropped their record down to 5-15.
Atascadero suffered a grim 17-7 defeat to Templeton in their previous meeting back in April. Will the Greyhounds have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
