Softball Recap: Vintage Comes Up Short

Vintage had lost three straight on the road, but on Friday they dropped their record down to 13-6 to make it four. They fell 9-4 to the Casa Grande Gauchos. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Gauchos this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 5-2 back in April.

Angie Rubalcava put in work no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out six batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). Rubalcava was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.

Rubalcava wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Sydney Morton, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.

As for Casa Grande, they are on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-5-1 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games.

On Casa Grande's side, Lila Partridge spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four runs (all of which were unearned) on six hits and racked up seven Ks. Partridge has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 15 consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Veronica Nunez-Miller was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Lauren Ketchu was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

Coincidentally, Vintage and Casa Grande will both be playing Napa the next time they take the field. The Crushers will head out to face the Grizzlies at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, while the Gauchos will host them at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.