Softball Game Preview: Pueblo Warriors vs. Nogales Apaches

Pueblo is a perfect 4-0 against Nogales since April of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Warriors will head out on the road to challenge the Apaches at 4:00 p.m. Pueblo is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.

Pueblo blew Flowing Wells out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Thursday Flowing Wells got their revenge. The Warriors fell just short of the Caballeros by a score of 11-9.

Sofia Larribas and Camila Duarte stepped up to the plate in a big way. Larribas went 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base, while Duarte went 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Andi Tona also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.

Meanwhile, Nogales was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their ninth straight loss. They came up short against Cienega, falling 17-4.

Nogales saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Zendy Peralta, who went 1-for-2 with one run.

Nogales' defeat dropped their record down to 7-18. As for Pueblo, their loss was their fifth straight at home, which dropped their record down to 5-16.

Nogales' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Pueblo has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Nogales, though, as they've been averaging 8.8 hits. Given Pueblo's sizable advantage in that area, the Apaches will need to find a way to close that gap.

Pueblo took their win against Nogales in their previous meeting back in February of 2018 by a conclusive 26-7 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.