Softball Preview: Durango Demons vs. Grand Junction Tigers
Durango and Grand Junction are an even 5-5 against one another since September of 2019, but likely not for long. The Durango Demons will head out on the road to face off against the Grand Junction Tigers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Durango will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
Last Friday, Durango sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-8 win over Cedaredge.
Jenna Glueck spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and five unearned) runs on 17 hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Karina Trujillo was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-4. Another player making a difference was Avery Clair, who went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
Durango didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with five strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cedaredge only tossed two.
Meanwhile, Grand Junction got the win against Gunnison on Tuesday by a conclusive 13-3. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by six runs or more this season.
Jaxon Clark made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). Clark was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 4-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alexis Walpole, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and a triple. Kaylie Kellerby was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
The victory got Durango back to even at 4-4. As for Grand Junction, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-3.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Saturday. Durango hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Grand Junction struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.4. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Durango suffered a grim 11-3 defeat to Grand Junction in their previous matchup back in September of 2023. Can Durango avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
