Mountain Grove is 1-9 against Ava since April of 2023 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Panthers will head out on the road to face off against the Bears at 5:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mountain Grove will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Monday, then bounced right back against Fordland on Thursday. The Panthers were the clear victors by an 18-3 margin over the Eagles. The Panthers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Hannah Dowden made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Dowden was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most runs she has posted over her last six contests.
Lyla Golden
| 05/07/26 @ Fordland | 4 |
| 04/16/26 vs Cabool | 3 |
| 04/06/26 @ Thayer | 3 |
| 04/21/26 vs Hartville | 2 |
| 03/26/26 @ Koshkonong | 2 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lyla Golden, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Briley Curtiss, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI.
Mountain Grove always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .625. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, while Ava put up plenty of runs on Thursday, the same can't be said for Seymour. The Bears put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 15-0 win. The Bears haven't had any issues with the Tigers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Mountain Grove's record is now 17-12-1. As for Ava, their record now sits at 17-7.
Mountain Grove couldn't quite get it done against Ava in their previous meeting two weeks ago as they fell 6-2. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
