Softball Game Preview: South Umpqua Lancers vs. Hidden Valley Mustangs

South Umpqua is a perfect 4-0 against Hidden Valley since March of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Lancers will host the Mustangs at 5:00 p.m. South Umpqua will be looking to extend their current 13-game winning streak.

On Friday, South Umpqua beat Douglas 4-1.

Hidden Valley's found some homefield redemption this week after a overtime loss to Phoenix on Monday. The Mustangs never let Klamath Union get on the board and left with an 11-0 victory. Considering the Mustangs have won 12 contests by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.

Scarlett Gordon was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bailey Sandquist, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Emma Mendes, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double.

South Umpqua's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Hidden Valley, their win bumped their record up to 21-5.

South Umpqua was able to grind out a solid victory over Hidden Valley in their previous matchup back in March of 2023, winning 11-7. Will the Lancers repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.