Softball Game Preview: Pahrump Valley Trojans vs. Needles Mustangs

Pahrump Valley is 1-7 against Needles since March of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Trojans will face off against the Mustangs at 3:00 p.m. Pahrump Valley knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past 11 matches -- so hopefully Needles likes a good challenge.

On Friday, Pahrump Valley didn't have quite enough to beat Sports Leadership & Management and fell 11-10.

Evalenne Armendariz put in work while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over five innings pitched. Armendariz was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.

In other batting news, Riley Saldana made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Madison Rodriguez was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.

Meanwhile, Needles waltzed into their game on Friday with ten straight wins... but they left with 11. They never let the Eagles get on the board and left with a 17-0 win. The Mustangs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 contests by seven runs or more this season.

Needles pushed their record up to 16-5 with the victory, which was their ninth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.1 runs over those games. As for Pahrump Valley, they suffered their first road loss, dropping their record down to 16-7.

Monday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Pahrump Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .417. However, it's not like Needles struggles in that department as they've averaged .400. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Pahrump Valley came up short against Needles when the teams last played back in March, falling 25-21. Can the Trojans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.