The Mundelein Mustangs will head out on the road to face off against the Buffalo Grove Bison at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Mundelein is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.
Mundelein will roll into the match after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Saturday, then bounced right back against Highland Park on Tuesday. The Mustangs were the clear victors by a 10-1 margin over the Giants. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won 14 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Sophia Zepeda spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up 16 Ks.
At the plate, Mundelein let Kieley Tomas and Taylor Pyke run wild. Tomas went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, two stolen bases, and one double, while Pyke went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most runs Tomas has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Claire Connelly, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Mundelein kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Buffalo Grove and Libertyville squared off in some playoff action on Wednesday, but Buffalo Grove had to settle for second. They came up short against the Wildcats, falling 10-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Bison have suffered against the Wildcats since April 3, 2019.
Buffalo Grove saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Erin Ryan, who went 1-for-3 with one double.
Mundelein's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-10. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.5 runs over those games. As for Buffalo Grove, their loss dropped their record down to 14-16.
Mundelein took their win against Buffalo Grove when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 15-2 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
