Softball Preview: Hanks Knights vs. Del Valle Conquistadores
Hanks is 8-2 against Del Valle since March of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Hanks Knights will head out on the road to challenge the Del Valle Conquistadores at 6:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Even though Horizon scored an imposing 11 runs on Tuesday, Hanks still came out on top. Everything went Hanks' way against Horizon as Hanks made off with a 21-11 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for Hanks.
Jessie Hellwig made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and six unearned) runs off two hits. Hellwig was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Amberly Mercado was a standout: she got on base in four of her five plate appearances with four runs, a triple, and two RBI. Tori Leon was another key contributor, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with a home run, three runs, and three RBI.
Meanwhile, Del Valle came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 15.5 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Matadors with a sharp 19-7 win.
Alexandra Ramos and Milliana Torrez did most of the damage at the plate: Ramos fired off two home runs, four runs, and four RBI while going 4-for-5, while Torrez got on base in four of her five plate appearances with four runs, two triples, and an RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Yasmine Morgan, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Hanks now has a winning record of 14-13-1. As for Del Valle, they pushed their record up to 18-2 with that victory, which was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hanks has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .460. However, it's not like Del Valle struggles in that department as they've averaged .593. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hanks might still be hurting after the 15-4 loss they got from Del Valle in their previous meeting on March 1st. Can Hanks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
