The Sequoia Charter Stallions will head out on the road to challenge the Gila Bend Gila Monsters at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Sequoia Charter is coming into the match on a three-game losing streak.
On Monday, Sequoia Charter came up short against Thunderbird Adventist Academy and fell 8-5.
Naomi Sams was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. Sams was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Reyna Chavez made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Gila Bend). They put the hurt on Berean Academy with a sharp 28-4 win on Tuesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Gila Monsters with their most commanding win of the season.
Like Sequoia Charter, Gila Bend also got a great game from a two-way player: Nadiyah Martinez. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs but no hits. Martinez was even better at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs.
In other batting news, Sierra Loper was a standout: she got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. Leila Martinez was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Gila Bend always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .889. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Gila Bend pushed their record up to 3-3 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 21.3 runs over those games. As for Sequoia Charter, their loss dropped their record down to 1-3.
Sequoia Charter came out on top in a nail-biter against Gila Bend in their previous matchup back in February, sneaking past 6-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for Sequoia Charter since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
