The Shadow Ridge Mustangs will head out to face off against the Arbor View Aggies at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Shadow Ridge will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
Shadow Ridge is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They came out on top against Green Valley by a score of 15-10. That's two games straight that the Mustangs have won by exactly five runs.
Shadow Ridge got a massive performance out of Breanna Nielsen, who went 2-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI Nielsen has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Rosely Hensley-Mokiao, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one double.
Shadow Ridge hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Arbor View faced Bishop Gorman in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. The Aggies walked away with a 5-2 win over the Gaels. The Aggies haven't had any issues with the Gaels recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Audrey Melton spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on seven hits and racked up six Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Madilyn Lowy, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two RBI, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Peyton Williams, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Shadow Ridge's record is now 18-6. As for Arbor View, their record now sits at 24-7.
Shadow Ridge's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. The Mustangs have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Arbor View, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Shadow Ridge continue to outrun the ball?
Shadow Ridge suffered a grim 11-3 defeat to Arbor View in their previous meeting back in April. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.