The Del Sol Dragons will venture away from home to take on the Sports Leadership & Management Bulls at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Last Monday, everything went Del Sol's way against The Meadows School as Del Sol made off with a 12-4 victory. The result was nothing new for the Dragons, who have now won three matchups by eight runs or more so far this season.
Adaya Lash was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Lash was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-5.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sunshine Rivera, who went 3-for-5 with five RBI, two runs, and one double. Another player making a difference was Cainell (Nelly) McNary, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
Del Sol always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .513. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as The Meadows School only posted an OBP of .323.
Meanwhile, Sports Leadership & Management put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Cheyenne a 17-0 shutout. The Bulls' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Like Del Sol, Sports Leadership & Management also got a great game from a two-way player: Nicole Carrasco. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those zero hits allowed gave Carrasco a new career-low. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Sports Leadership & Management got a massive performance out of Naima Ralston, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Sonny Johnson also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Sports Leadership & Management's record is now 8-0. As for Del Sol, their win ended an eight-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-1.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Del Sol has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .632. However, it's not like Sports Leadership & Management struggles in that department as they've averaged .685. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Del Sol suffered a grim 17-1 defeat to Sports Leadership & Management when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Can Del Sol avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
