Softball Game Preview: Dayton Dust Devils vs. Elko Indians

Dayton is 2-8 against Elko since May of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Dust Devils will square off against the Indians at 4:00 p.m. Dayton is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.

Dayton is headed into Friday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 13th straight game on Friday. They came up short against Fernley, falling 13-3. Surprisingly, this marked the third straight game that the away team has come away the victor.

Dayton saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alexis Munoz, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Meanwhile, Elko was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their sixth straight defeat. They took a 9-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of Lowry. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Addison Seipp made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run and two runs. Kallista Crouch was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.

Dayton's loss dropped their record down to 10-14. As for Elko, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-12.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Dayton has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Elko struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

Dayton suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to Elko in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Dust Devils avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.