Softball Preview: Denver North Vikings vs. Standley Lake Gators
The Denver North Vikings will face off against the Standley Lake Gators at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Denver North is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victor by a 13-1 margin over Rangeview on Tuesday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Vikings as it put an end to their five-game losing streak.
Veronica Loera-Tafoya was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Loera-Tafoya was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing four bases.
In other batting news, Denver North let Sophia Guerrero and Elina Gutierrez loose on the outfield. Guerrero scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2, while Gutierrez scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Guerrero also put up a home run, which washer first of the season. Another player making a difference was Michaloni Pittman, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Denver North hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Standley Lake entered their tilt with Boulder on Thursday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 11-3 victory. 11 seems to be a good number for the Gators as the team scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Becca McNeil made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with a double and an RBI.
In other batting news, Standley Lake got a massive performance out of Trista Switzer-Ennis, who went 4-for-4 with five RBI, a run, and a double. Another player making a difference was Michelle Masteller, who scored three runs while going 4-for-5.
Denver North's record now sits at 2-5. As for Standley Lake, the victory also got them back to even at 3-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Denver North has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Standley Lake struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.3. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Denver North skirted past Standley Lake 9-8 when the teams last played back in August. Will Denver North repeat their success, or does Standley Lake have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
