For the first time this season, Rodriguez will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup on Friday. They will be playing at home against the Pioneer Patriots at 4:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Rodriguez 2.3, Pioneer 1.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Rodriguez had been on a three-game streak of scoring at least ten runs, but Benicia put an end to it on Tuesday. Rodriguez fell just short of Benicia by a score of 3-1. The Mustangs' loss signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.
Rodriguez saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Angelique Boot, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Pioneer had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Wednesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Dragons a 21-0 shutout. The Patriots' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Jia Beebe made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.2 strikeouts per game. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, Marisa Bryson was a standout: she got on base in all five of her plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Gracie McGinty, who scored five runs while going 3-for-4.
Pioneer was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .559. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .321 or higher in five consecutive matchups.
Pioneer's victory bumped their record up to 6-2. As for Rodriguez, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-2.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Rodriguez has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.9 hits per game. However, it's not like Pioneer struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.9 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rodriguez suffered a grim 11-4 defeat to Pioneer in their previous matchup back in April of 2016. Will Rodriguez have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
