Softball Game Preview: Natomas Nighthawks vs. Rio Linda Knights

The Natomas Nighthawks are taking a road trip to square off against the Rio Linda Knights at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Natomas has now lost 11 straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since March 10.

Natomas fell victim to Dixon and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 22-0 to the Rams, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior.

Rio Linda never got on the board in their matchup on Tuesday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Woodland on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Wolves a 10-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Knights, who have now won nine contests by eight runs or more so far this season.

Not much got past Kiera Waggoner, who gave up just two hits to keep Woodland off the board. Waggoner has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Alexa Mendoza was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Lani Vanderhoof, who went 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.

Rio Linda was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Woodland only posted a batting average of .200.

Rio Linda has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Natomas, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-15.

Natomas might still be hurting after the 32-0 loss they got from Rio Linda when the teams last played back in March. Can the Nighthawks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.