Softball Preview: Thunderbird Titans vs. Yuma Criminals
Thunderbird has enjoyed the comforts of home their last four games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will square off against the Yuma Criminals at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Thunderbird is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 12.5 runs per game this season.
Thunderbird can now show off 13 landslide victories after their most recent contest on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Agua Fria as Thunderbird made off with a 15-0 win.
Evan Turner looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit over four innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Lily Rakich was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Delilah Alvidrez, who scored three runs while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Yuma fell victim to a rough 15-5 defeat at the hands of Greenway on Friday. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Yuma in their matchups with Greenway: they've now lost four in a row.
Sylvia Gradias was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Gradias was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Elia Palencia and Saige Sievert did some serious damage despite the final result: Palencia scored two runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-4, while Sievert scored a run while going 4-for-4. Derryel Medel was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Thunderbird is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 13-8 record this season. As for Yuma, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-10.
Yuma's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Thunderbird has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.7 hits per game. It's a different story for Yuma, though, as they've been averaging 9.9. Given Thunderbird's sizable advantage in that area, Yuma will need to find a way to close that gap.
Thunderbird came out on top in a nail-biter against Yuma when the teams last played back in April of 2023, sneaking past 18-16. Does Thunderbird have another victory up their sleeve, or will Yuma turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
