Softball Preview: Rifle Bears vs. Delta Panthers
The Rifle Bears will be staying on the road on Thursday to face off against the Delta Panthers at 3:00 p.m. Rifle is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.
Last Saturday, Rifle came up short against Montezuma-Cortez and fell 8-5.
Tyhler Decrow was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with a triple, a run, and an RBI. What's more, she also posted a .667 batting average, which is the highestshe's posted in her last seven games. Another player making a difference was Emma Aragon, who went 2-for-3 with a stolen base, a double, and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Delta posted their closest victory since September 7, 2023 on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 win over Montezuma-Cortez.
Lily Gallegos spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits.
At the plate, Jazlyn Naranjo was incredible, going 4-for-4 with two triples, three runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Velma Baily, who went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Rifle's loss was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 8-11. As for Delta, they have been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine contests, which provided a massive bump to their 9-8 record this season.
Delta's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Rifle has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.1 hits per game. It's a different story for Delta, though, as they've been averaging 9.7. Given Rifle's sizable advantage in that area, Delta will need to find a way to close that gap.
Rifle might still be hurting after the 11-1 defeat they got from Delta in their previous meeting back in September of 2023. Can Rifle 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
