The Salinas Cowboys will venture away from home to challenge the Pacific Grove Breakers at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Salinas' pitching crew has only allowed 3.5 runs per game this season, so Pacific Grove's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
The home team had won the previous two meetings between Salinas and Monterey, and Salinas kept the tradition alive. The Cowboys never let the Toreadors get on the board and left with a 7-0 victory on Thursday. The Cowboys not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since March 31st (when they won 7-0).
The result came thanks to Bella Machuca's shutout, as she gave up just three hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Gigi Rossi, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Isabella Hernandez, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
Salinas was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Monterey only posted a batting average of .136.
Meanwhile, Pacific Grove was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their 14th straight defeat. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost an 8-7 heartbreaker at the hands of Watsonville.
Isis Turner made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 4-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Destiny Buckles was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Pacific Grove's loss dropped their record down to 5-17. As for Salinas, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-7 record this season.
Salinas was able to grind out a solid win over Pacific Grove in their previous matchup last Thursday, winning 4-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cowboys since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
