The Abilene Eagles will face off against the Richland Royals at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Abilene is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Americas 8-7.
Avah Reyes spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and two unearned) runs on ten hits and racked up ten Ks.
Alicia Gutierrez
| 05/01/26 vs Americas | 3 |
| 05/01/26 vs Americas | 2 |
| 04/30/26 vs Americas | 1 |
| 04/24/26 vs Amarillo | 1 |
| 04/23/26 vs Amarillo | 1 |
| + 7 more games |
At the plate, Alicia Gutierrez was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two doubles. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Mariah Estrada, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Richland entered their tilt with Centennial on Saturday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They never let the Spartans get on the board and left with a 2-0 victory.
The result came thanks to Stacy Jennings's shutout, as she gave up just seven hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Kennedy Parry, who went 2-for-5 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Richland's win bumped their record up to 32-4. As for Abilene, their victory bumped their record up to 24-10-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Abilene has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Richland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Abilene got the 'W' in their previous matchup back in March of 2020 against Richland by a conclusive 13-3 score. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Royals turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
