Softball Game Preview: Don Lugo Conquistadores vs. Diamond Ranch Panthers

For the second straight game, Don Lugo will face off against Diamond Ranch. The Conquistadores will welcome the Panthers at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Don Lugo's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so Diamond Ranch's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Don Lugo is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Diamond Ranch just ended the team's eight-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell 6-1 to the Panthers. The Conquistadores were red-hot at the plate heading into the contest (they scored no less than ten runs in the three games prior), but the Panthers' pitcher proved too tough.

For Diamond Ranch's part, Izel Avalos made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. That's the most strikeouts Avalos has posted since back in March. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games she's played.

In other batting news, Elena Rodriguez and Liset Renteria did most of the damage at the plate: Rodriguez got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs, while Renteria went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

The win was the fifth in a row for Diamond Ranch, bringing their record up to 13-8. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Don Lugo, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-4-1.