The Ralston Rams will take on the Mercy Monarchs at 1:30 p.m. on Monday. Ralston is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
Ralston took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They blew past Omaha North 19-1. The result was nothing new for the Rams, who have now won 13 contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Bayla Bodnar and Lilly Elsasser made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Bodnar tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run but no hits. Meanwhile, Elsasser pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. At bat, Bodnar went 2-for-3 with five RBI, two runs, and a stolen base, while Elsasser scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Tatum Farrell was incredible, going 2-for-2 with a home run, five RBI, and two runs. What's more, she also racked up two hits, the mostshe's had in her last 13 matchups. Another player making a difference was Taylor Bergman, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Ralston always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .885. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 11 runs the game before, Mercy was a bit more limited in their match on Thursday. They lost 13-1 to Skutt Catholic.
Ralston pushed their record up to 18-10 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home. As for Mercy, their loss dropped their record down to 9-19.
Mercy's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Monday. Ralston has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Mercy, though, as they've been averaging only 3.6. Will Ralston keep running through batters, or will Mercy buck the trend?
Ralston took their victory against Mercy in their previous meeting back in September by a conclusive 15-5. Will Ralston repeat their success, or does Mercy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
