Sultana is 9-1 against Apple Valley since March of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Sultans will host the Sun Devils at 3:15 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
If Sultana beats Apple Valley with 12 runs on Thursday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. The Sultans beat Hesperia on Tuesday 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
| 04/29/25 @ Hesperia | 6 |
| 04/24/25 vs Serrano | 9 |
| 04/22/25 @ Oak Hills | 10 |
Savannah Vanderpool was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed 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, Sultana got a massive performance out of Avery Rodriguez, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Jadielyn Rodriguez, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Sultana was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .440. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .333 or higher in seven consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Apple Valley waltzed into their game on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. Everything went their way against the Burros as they made off with a 17-6 victory.
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.
Sultana's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-7. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Apple Valley, their win bumped their record up to 14-7-1.
Apple Valley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Sultana has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Apple Valley, though, as they've been averaging 9 hits. Given Sultana's sizable advantage in that area, the Sun Devils will need to find a way to close that gap.
Sultana took their victory against Apple Valley when the teams last played two weeks ago by a conclusive 15-5 score. Will the Sultans repeat their success, or do the Sun Devils have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
