Softball Game Preview: Serrano Diamondbacks vs. Sultana Sultans

Serrano is 1-9 against Sultana since April of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Diamondbacks will head out to face off against the Sultans at 3:15 p.m. Serrano has given up an average of 7 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Serrano is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 18 runs on Thursday, they were much more limited against Apple Valley on Tuesday. They came up short against the Sun Devils, falling 12-2.

Jamie Motley made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI.

Meanwhile, Sultana entered their tilt with Oak Hills on Tuesday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 6-5 W against the Bulldogs. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Sultans have posted since March 17th.

Savannah Vanderpool made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Vanderpool was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Isabel Avalos, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.

Sultana's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-7. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. As for Serrano, they now have a losing record of 10-11.

Serrano suffered a grim 15-5 defeat to Sultana when the teams last played two weeks ago. Can the Diamondbacks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.