Softball Game Preview: Green Valley Gators vs. Basic Wolves

The Green Valley Gators will face off against the Basic Wolves at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Green Valley came out on top against Faith Lutheran on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive nine-run fifth inning. The Gators put the hurt on the Crusaders with a sharp 15-5 victory.

Meanwhile, Basic faced Doral Academy Red Rock in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. The Wolves blew past the Dragons 13-6. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Wolves.

Melanie Hughes made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Hughes was even better at the plate, going 2-for-5 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, Mercedes Escarcega was a standout: she got on base in four of her five plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Isabella Christensen was another key player, going 3-for-5 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI.

Green Valley is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-10 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Basic, their victory bumped their record up to 13-10.

Green Valley took their win against Basic when the teams last played back in March by a conclusive 10-0 score. Do the Gators have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Wolves turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.