Softball Game Preview: Grants Pass Cavemen vs. Phoenix Pirates

Grants Pass has won four straight games at home, while Phoenix has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Cavemen will welcome the Pirates at 4:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, Grants Pass didn't have quite enough to beat Willamette and fell 7-6.

Phoenix came out on top against Etna on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run second inning. The Pirates were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Lions. The result was nothing new for the Pirates, who have now won nine contests by six runs or more so far this season.

Jersey Stevenson made a big impact no matter where she played. She tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Stevenson was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April.

In other batting news, Carsyn Gallegos was excellent, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs and two RBI. Carsyn Sousa was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Phoenix was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .450. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .414 or higher in four consecutive matches.

Phoenix is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Grants Pass, their loss dropped their record down to 9-8.