Softball Game Preview: Dongola Demons vs. Elverado Falcons

Dongola hasn't had much luck against Elverado recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Demons will venture away from home to take on the Falcons at 4:30 p.m. Elverado took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Dongola, who comes in off a win.

Dongola's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over Meridian. That 12 run margin sets a new team best for the Demons this season.

Abigail Lang made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. That hit marked the first that she allowed this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one triple and one RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Hayden Etheridge, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Kali Short was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Elverado came up short against Christ Our Rock Lutheran on Wednesday and fell 5-2. The Falcons have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Maci Cararway spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on five hits.

On the hitting side, Elverado saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Essence Haynes, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.

The victory made it two in a row for Dongola and bumps their season record up to 3-3. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 0 runs in those games. As for Elverado, their loss dropped their record down to 7-3.

Dongola might still be hurting after the 15-2 defeat they got from Elverado in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can the Demons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.