Softball Game Preview: Hidden Valley Mustangs vs. South Umpqua Lancers

Hidden Valley is 0-4 against South Umpqua since March of 2018 but things could change on Thursday. The Mustangs will square off against the Lancers at 5:00 p.m. Hidden Valley will aim to continue their four-game streak of scoring more runs each matchup than the last.

Hidden Valley took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They put the hurt on Klamath Union with a sharp 11-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won 12 games by six runs or more so far this season.

Scarlett Gordon

Batters Struck Out

05/19/25 vs Klamath Union	7
05/17/25 @ Phoenix	9
05/17/25 @ Phoenix	8
05/14/25 vs Phoenix	7
05/10/25 vs Henley	6
+ 5 more games

Scarlett Gordon was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bailey Sandquist, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Emma Mendes, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double.

Meanwhile, South Umpqua waltzed into their contest on Friday with 12 straight wins... but they left with 13. They walked away with a 4-1 victory over the Trojans.

South Umpqua's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Hidden Valley, their record now sits at 21-5.

Hidden Valley couldn't quite get it done against South Umpqua in their previous meeting back in March of 2023 as they fell 11-7. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.