Softball Game Preview: Gresham Gophers vs. Aloha Warriors

The Gresham Gophers will head out to take on the Aloha Warriors at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Aloha took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Gresham, who comes in off a win.

Gresham proved they can win big on Thursday (they won by eight) and on Monday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 win over Forest Grove. The victory was familiar territory for the Gophers, who have now won three matches in a row.

Maddy Sagapolutele was incredible, firing off two home runs while going 3-for-3. That's the most home runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Suntaya Riddle also deserves some recognition as she hit her first doubles of the season.

Meanwhile, Aloha unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Monday. They came up short against Nelson, falling 15-5.

Avery Dimeo and Brooklyn Sweatman did some serious damage despite the final result: Dimeo scored two runs while going 3-for-3, while Sweatman scored a run while going 1-for-4.

Gresham pushed their record up to 7-4 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Aloha, their loss dropped their record down to 7-3.

Gresham's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's contest. The Gophers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Aloha, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Gresham continue to outrun the ball?

Gresham skirted past Aloha 5-4 in their previous meeting back in March of 2019. Will the Gophers repeat their success, or do the Warriors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.