Softball Recap: Sahuaro Takes a Loss

Sahuaro had lost eight straight at home, but on Friday they dropped their record down to 0-17 to make it nine. They lost 18-3 to the Sabino Sabercats. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Cougars of the 10-2 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in February of 2023.

As for Sabino, the victory (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 15-11. Their hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.

For Sabino's part, Ella Morse and Avery Nielson were major factors while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Morse struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Nielson pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. At bat, Morse got on base in two of her four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run, while Nielson went 2-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. That's the most RBI Nielson has posted since back in March.

In other batting news, Mia Acosta and Alyssa Aguirre did most of the damage at the plate: Acosta got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Aguirre went 3-for-4 with three runs, one double, and one RBI. Bobbi Valles was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.

Sahuaro didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next contest, a 14-3 win against Amphitheater on the 28th. As for Sabino, they will host Northwest Christian at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Sabercats will need to watch out since the Crusaders have now posted at least ten runs in their last eight matchups.