The Almeta Crawford Chargers will take on the Stafford Spartans at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Almeta Crawford had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 18-run drubbing they dealt Royal on Tuesday. The Chargers were the clear victors by a 26-8 margin over the Falcons. With that win, the Chargers brought their scoring average up to 7.3 runs per game.
Maya Hanks was incredible, scoring five runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Kylie Remington was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing five bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Almeta Crawford kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Royal only managed six hits.
Stafford never got on the board in their matchup on Friday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against La Marque last Tuesday. They blew past the Cougars 18-3.
Jovaughna Mendez made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. Mendez was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Noehli Torres, who fired off four stolen bases, three triples, and three runs while going 4-for-5. Those triples were her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Kaelyn Whitaker, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 4-for-4.
Stafford is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a massive bump to their 11-7-1 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.2 runs over those games. As for Almeta Crawford, the win got them back to even at 6-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Almeta Crawford has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Stafford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Almeta Crawford might still be hurting after the 14-4 loss they got from Stafford when the teams last played back in March. Will the Chargers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
