Two dominant two-way players in Gabby Gonzales and Audriana Anglada are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Miami Vandals are on the road again on Saturday to play the Horizon Honors Eagles at 10:00 a.m. Miami is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
Last Monday, Miami came up short against Coolidge and fell 10-6. Miami has struggled against Coolidge recently, as their matchup on Monday was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
Gonzales was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over six innings pitched. Gonzales has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. Gonzales was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Horizon Honors had already won nine in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14.2 runs), and they went ahead and made it ten on Thursday. They never let the Wolves onto the board and left with a 20-0 victory. The result was nothing new for Horizon Honors, who have now won ten games by nine runs or more so far this season.
Like Miami, Horizon Honors also got a great game from a two-way player: Danica Guttierrez. She didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits over four innings pitched. Guttierrez was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with a stolen base, two RBI, and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Josie Barden, who went 4-for-4 with six RBI, three runs, and two doubles. Nicole Topete was another key contributor, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
Miami's defeat dropped their record down to 4-8. As for Horizon Honors, their win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Miami has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Horizon Honors struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.1 per game. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Miami might still be hurting after the 19-3 loss they got from Horizon Honors in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. Thankfully for Miami, Lucy Holweger (who fired off two home runs, four runs, and five RBI while going 3-for-4) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
