The Sonora Raiders will venture away from home to take on the Yorba Linda Mustangs at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. Sonora is coming into the match on a three-game losing streak.
Sonora fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Villa Park on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Spartans by a score of 5-4.
Ashlyn Pantages was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one triple and two RBI. That triple was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Savannah Saiza, who went 1-for-3 with two runs.
Meanwhile, while Yorba Linda put up some runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Troy. The Mustangs blew past the Warriors 10-0. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Samantha Cook made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over five innings pitched. Cook was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Madeline Jeanblanc, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Saige Block, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Yorba Linda kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 6-2 when they post 11 or more hits.
Yorba Linda now has a winning record of 12-11. As for Sonora, their loss dropped their record down to 15-8.
Yorba Linda's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Sonora has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Yorba Linda, though, as they've been averaging only 4 strikeouts. Will Sonora keep running through batters, or will the Mustangs buck the trend?
Sonora came out on top in a nail-biter against Yorba Linda in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 3-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Raiders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
