The Cedar Valley Aviators will head out on the road to square off against the Mountain Ridge Sentinels at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Cedar Valley is coming into the match on a five-game losing streak.
On Thursday, it was a hard-fought game, but Cedar Valley had to settle for a 9-7 defeat against Maple Mountain.
Catharina Underwood spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and six unearned) runs on five hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in seven consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Jeslyn Collins and Maddalynn Jensen did some serious damage despite the final result: Collins scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances, while Jensen went 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Eva Okusi, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Even though they lost, Cedar Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .394. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Maple Mountain only posted a batting average of .172.
Meanwhile, Mountain Ridge faced Riverton in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. Mountain Ridge lost 19-4 to Riverton. Mountain Ridge has struggled against Riverton recently, as their matchup on Tuesday was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
Tatyana Toala made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-2 with a triple and a run.
Cedar Valley's loss dropped their record down to 11-11. As for Mountain Ridge, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-8.
Friday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Cedar Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .362. However, it's not like Mountain Ridge struggles in that department as they've averaged .326. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
