Apple Valley is 1-9 against Sultana since March of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Sun Devils will head out on the road to square off against the Sultans at 3:15 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Sultana will be up against a hot Apple Valley team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Sun Devils put the hurt on Burroughs with a sharp 17-6 victory on Tuesday.
Peyton Gaytan
| 04/29/25 vs Burroughs | 5 |
| 03/10/25 @ Victor Valley | 3 |
| 04/10/25 @ Burroughs | 2 |
| 02/27/25 @ Barstow | 2 |
| 04/25/25 vs Hesperia | 1 |
Peyton Gaytan was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Hailey Macias, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Apple Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .639. They are a perfect 10-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Sultana won against Serrano on Thursday with 12 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. The Sultans beat Hesperia by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 12-2. The win was nothing new for the Sultans as they're now sitting on seven straight.
Savannah Vanderpool made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out six over four innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
In other batting news, Avery Rodriguez was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Jadielyn Rodriguez was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Sultana's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-7. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.4 runs on average over those games. As for Apple Valley, their record now sits at 14-7-1.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Apple Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .470. However, it's not like Sultana struggles in that department as they've averaged .467. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Apple Valley might still be hurting after the 15-5 defeat they got from Sultana in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Can the Sun Devils avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
