Softball Game Preview: San Luis Sidewinders vs. Gila Ridge Hawks

For the second straight game, San Luis will face off against Gila Ridge. The Sidewinders will square off against the Hawks at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: San Luis has struggled recently with four defeats in a row, while Gila Ridge will arrive with five straight victories.

San Luis fell victim to Gila Ridge and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They came up short against the Hawks, falling 17-0.

For Gila Ridge's part, Violet Silva was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Silva has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kara Espino, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, three RBI, and one triple. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Lillyana Price, who went 2-for-4 with three runs and two doubles.

Gila Ridge pushed their record up to 14-4 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for San Luis, their loss dropped their record down to 4-12.