The Centennial Bulldogs will challenge the Shadow Ridge Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Centennial is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last four games.
Centennial is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They put the hurt on Green Valley with a sharp 14-2 win.
Centennial got a great performance from Lily Fournier as she didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. Fournier has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 16 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Hailey Smith was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Campbell Cole, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
Centennial kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Shadow Ridge faced Arbor View in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. The Mustangs came out on top against the Aggies by a score of 5-2. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Mustangs.
Katelynn Quidato spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on eight hits.
On the hitting side, Madison Foster was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI.
Centennial's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-11. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Shadow Ridge, their victory bumped their record up to 13-7.
Shadow Ridge's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Wednesday. Centennial has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Shadow Ridge, though, as they've been averaging only 3.8 strikeouts. Will Centennial keep running through batters, or will the Mustangs buck the trend?
Centennial skirted past Shadow Ridge 6-4 in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Do the Bulldogs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
