Bears
| 03/31/25 @ Mansfield | 16-0 |
| 03/29/25 @ Willow Springs | 5-3 |
| 03/29/25 @ Liberty | 11-2 |
| 03/27/25 @ Licking | 12-2 |
Winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Ava). Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Mansfield Lions a 16-0 shutout on Monday. The win was familiar territory for the Bears, who have now won four matchups in a row.
Hunter Strunk made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. She also put up a run, which was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Samantha Thompson was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-2. Those stolen bases were her first of the season. Autumn Cudworth was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2.
Ava always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .655. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Ava's victory was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-2. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average this season. As for Mansfield, they are on a five-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-4.
Looking ahead, Ava will host Hollister at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Hollister has struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 19.25 runs per game on average), something Ava will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Mansfield, they will head out to challenge Norwood at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
