Evergreen Valley is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Independence is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Cougars will host the 76ers at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Evergreen Valley made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Mt. Pleasant, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Cougars never let the Cardinals get on the board and left with a 12-0 win on Friday. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four contests by ten runs or more this season.
The team relied heavily on Aliyah Villalba, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Independence ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Harker 7-6.
Julieta Ramirez made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 14 over eight innings pitched. Those 14 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Laila Morales and Ava Sanchez did most of the damage at the plate: Morales went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double, while Sanchez scored a run while going 1-for-2. That double marked the first that Morales hit this season.
Evergreen Valley's win ended a 14-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 4-7. As for Independence, their victory bumped their record up to 9-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Evergreen Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Independence struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Evergreen Valley might still be hurting after the 10-4 loss they got from Independence in their previous meeting back in March. Will the Cougars have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
