The Summit Shasta Black Bears will face off against the Design Tech Dragons at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Summit Shasta is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Luis Valdez Leadership Academy with a sharp 23-8 victory on Friday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
The team relied heavily on Dani Reese Bell, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. Those stolen bases were her first of the season. Nani Ochoa was another key player, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Summit Shasta kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 13 hits in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Design Tech waltzed into their match on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They were the clear victors by a 14-7 margin over the Wolfpack. Considering the Dragons have won seven contests by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Ella Lewis made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off nine hits. Those ten strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. She is on a roll when it comes to RBI, as she's now brought in three or more in each of the last three games she's played.
In other batting news, Jeneva Fletcher was a standout: she went a perfect 4-for-4 with five runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. She has been hot recently, having posted four or more hits the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Sarah Todd, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Design Tech pushed their record up to 8-5 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 20.3 runs over those games. As for Summit Shasta, their victory bumped their record up to 3-1.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Summit Shasta has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .571. However, it's not like Design Tech struggles in that department as they've averaged .561. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
