Ukiah is 1-8 against Rancho Cotate since April of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Wildcats will challenge the Cougars at 7:30 p.m. Ukiah knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past six games -- so hopefully Rancho Cotate likes a good challenge.
It was a proper cat-fight when Ukiah challenged Santa Rosa on Thursday. The Wildcats' pitcher stepped up to hand the Panthers a 10-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Wildcats, who have now won five contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Taylor Allen
| 04/09/26 vs Santa Rosa | 13 |
| 04/07/26 @ Healdsburg | 16 |
| 04/02/26 vs Elsie Allen | 12 |
| 03/31/26 @ St. Vincent de Paul | 8 |
| 03/28/26 vs Eureka | 6 |
| + 3 more games |
Taylor Allen was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Macie Winzler, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI and one run. Another player making a difference was Annmarie Brown, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and one RBI.
Ukiah was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .387 or higher in six consecutive matchups.
The home team had come away the winner the last four times Rancho Cotate and Maria Carrillo had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Cougars walked away with a 10-6 victory over the Pumas on Wednesday. The game was the first time the Cougars have beaten the Pumas on their field since April 12, 2024.
Leila Figoni was excellent, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February. Sadie Yahya was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three runs and one RBI.
Ukiah pushed their record up to 8-5 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Rancho Cotate, their record is now 5-8.
Rancho Cotate's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Ukiah has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Rancho Cotate, though, as they've been averaging only 3.6 strikeouts. Will Ukiah keep running through batters, or will the Cougars buck the trend?
Ukiah suffered a grim 9-0 defeat to Rancho Cotate when the teams last played back in April of 2019. Can the Wildcats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
