Softball Preview: Los Lunas Tigers vs. Santa Fe Demons
Los Lunas is 6-0 against Santa Fe since May of 2021, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Los Lunas Tigers will head out on the road to face off against the Santa Fe Demons at 3:00 p.m. Los Lunas knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy run totals in its past three games -- so hopefully Santa Fe likes a good challenge.
Los Lunas can now show off seven landslide victories after their most recent matchup on Saturday. They put the hurt on Manzano with a sharp 13-4 victory.
Natalie Madrid made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up four earned runs off 11 hits. Madrid has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Madrid was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Sarah Love was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-5. Another player making a difference was Kelsie DeGraaf, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Santa Fe was handed a 16-point loss in their previous outing, but they didn't let that bad energy affect their game against Portales on Saturday. Santa Fe skirted past Portales 5-3. The win was just what Santa Fe needed coming off of a 20-4 defeat in their prior contest.
Like Los Lunas, Santa Fe also got a great game from a two-way player: Leah Gutierrez. On the mound, she tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Gutierrez was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a triple, two RBI, and a run.
Gutierrez wasn't the only one making solid contact as one players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Sarah Pino, who went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and an RBI. A'Mya Jeselink was another key contributor, scoring two runs while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances.
Los Lunas' record is now 9-6. As for Santa Fe, they now have a winning record of 9-8.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Los Lunas has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .432. However, it's not like Santa Fe struggles in that department as they've averaged .456. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Los Lunas' way against Santa Fe in their previous matchup back in April of 2023 as Los Lunas made off with a 12-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Los Lunas since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
