Softball Preview: Grants Pirates vs. Valencia Jaguars
Grants is 0-10 against Valencia since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Grants Pirates are on the road again to play the Valencia Jaguars at 6:00 p.m. Grants is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.
Grants will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Thursday, then bounced right back against Thoreau on Monday. Grants was the clear victor by an 18-3 margin over Thoreau.
Olivia Toivanen made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Toivanen was even better at the plate, going 3-for-3 with five RBI, three runs, and two doubles.
In other batting news, Kymber Cash was a standout: she scored three runs and stole four bases while going 3-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Aubrhyanna Garcia, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 18 runs the game before, Valencia was a bit more limited in their match on Tuesday. They fell victim to a tough 21-2 loss at the hands of Belen.
Grants' win ended a ten-game drought on the road and puts them at 5-15. As for Valencia, their defeat was their sixth straight at home, which dropped their record down to 3-14.
Thursday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Grants hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .354. However, it's not like Valencia struggles in that department as they've averaged .330. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Grants might still be hurting after the 10-3 loss they got from Valencia in their previous matchup on April 2nd. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Valencia's Miana Barron, who pitched seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits. Now that Grants knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
