Serrano is 2-8 against Apple Valley since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Diamondbacks will head out on the road to face off against the Sun Devils at 3:15 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Serrano's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Hesperia as they made off with a 10-0 win. The Diamondbacks haven't had any issues with the Scorpions recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Sam Conan was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Conan was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Jamie Motley was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Wendy Arauz was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-3.
Serrano always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .621. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hesperia only posted an OBP of .062.
Meanwhile, Apple Valley hadn't done well against Oak Hills recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Sun Devils blew past the Bulldogs 6-0.
Like Serrano, Apple Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Brynne Johnson. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over seven innings pitched. Johnson has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Johnson wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Liza Lozano, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Apple Valley is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-4-1 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.6 runs on average over those games. As for Serrano, they now have a winning record of 8-7.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Serrano hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .490. However, it's not like Apple Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .319. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Serrano came up short against Apple Valley in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 8-3. Can the Diamondbacks avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
