Cedar Park hasn't had much luck against Leander recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Timberwolves will host the Lions at 7:00 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Cedar Park took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They won by a run and slipped past Lehman 5-4. The victory was some much needed relief for the Timberwolves as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Ellie Massey spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on eight hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ally Gonzales, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, two doubles, and one stolen base. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Jenna Hurt, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Meanwhile, Leander never let their opponents score on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 1-0 win over Hays. Those one runs were actually the fewest the Lions have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Not much got past Scarlett Geurin, who gave up just four hits and racked up ten Ks to keep Hays off the board. Those ten strikeouts set a new season-high mark for Geurin.
On the hitting side, Leander's victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Kylee Arnold, who went 1-for-3 with one triple.
Leander's win bumped their record up to 23-5-1. As for Cedar Park, their victory bumped their record up to 8-12.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Cedar Park hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .332. However, it's not like Leander struggles in that department as they've averaged .413. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cedar Park couldn't quite get it done against Leander in their previous matchup back in March as they fell 4-0. Will the Timberwolves 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.