Goddard hasn't had much luck against Artesia recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Rockets will challenge the Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. Goddard is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.
Goddard made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Lovington, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Rockets fell just short of the Wildcats by a score of 8-6 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Rockets have suffered against the Wildcats since April 19, 2022.
Marisa Crawford was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. Roxanna Serrano was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, while Artesia put up some runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Portales. The Bulldogs put the hurt on the Rams with a sharp 9-0 victory. Considering the Bulldogs have won seven games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Katrin Marquez made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over 6.2 innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one run and one double.
In other batting news, Brooklyn Fuentes was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jenna Whitmire, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs.
Artesia is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.4 runs over those games. As for Goddard, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-8.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Goddard hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .342. However, it's not like Artesia struggles in that department as they've averaged .332. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Goddard suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Artesia when the teams last played last Tuesday. Can the Rockets avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
