Softball Game Preview: Valley Union Blue Devils vs. Pima Roughriders

The Valley Union Blue Devils will face off against the Pima Roughriders at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. One thing working in Valley Union's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last four matchups.

Valley Union took a loss when they played away from home last Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Baboquivari with a sharp 27-9 win. The Blue Devils' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.

The team relied heavily on Bailey Drabeck, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with seven stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Kylee Gilbreth, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with five stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.

Valley Union always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .683. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .639 or higher in four consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Pima came up short against Miami on Thursday and fell 8-5. The Roughriders have struggled against the Vandals recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

Valley Union is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 3-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.0 runs over those games. As for Pima, their loss was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 11-7.

Valley Union skirted past Pima 6-5 in their previous matchup back in March of 2022. Will the Blue Devils repeat their success, or do the Roughriders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.