Softball Game Preview: Pinon Eagles vs. Ganado Hornets

The Pinon Eagles will face off against the Ganado Hornets at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Pinon has given up an average of 16.2 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Pinon is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 26 runs last Thursday, they were much more limited against El Capitan on Thursday. They came up short against El Capitan, falling 12-2.

Meanwhile, Ganado made easy work of Many Farms on Friday and carried off a 19-5 victory. The Hornets haven't had any issues with the Lobos recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.

Shawntaya Smith made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up five earned runs off seven hits (and not a single walk). Those nine strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. She also put up two triples, which were her first of the season.

In other batting news, Ganado let Shayli Abeita-Walker and Jasmine Bob run wild. Abeita-Walker scored four runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-3, while Bob got on base in three of her four plate appearances with four stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI Bob has posted since back in March of 2024. Connie Burns was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.

Ganado was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .520. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.

Pinon's defeat was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Ganado, their victory bumped their record up to 4-8.

Pinon might still be hurting after the 22-6 loss they got from Ganado in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can Pinon avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.