Matador baseball, softball hit the road

Arizona Western softball at Glendale

Time: 1 p.m. today, Glendale (DH)

Last game: The Matadors lost to Mesa 4-2; The Gauchos lost to Eastern Arizona 9-3

Records: AWC (15-7 overall, 7-3 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference); Glendale (7-9 overall, 5-7 ACCAC)

Players to watch: Briana VanSickle, who is starting the first game for the Matadors, is 6-2 and has a team-best 1.66 ERA. In a 2-0 extra innings win against Mesa, VanSickle threw all eight innings, allowing two hits and striking out seven. ... Sophomore catcher Morgan Desaulniers has a batting average of .514 with 18 hits and 12 RBIs.

The lowdown: The Matadors are third place at Division I while Glendale is fourth at Division II. ... Arizona Western has won five of its last six, including sweeping GateWay and Yavapai. ... Hayley Miller (6-2, 3.35 ERA) is scheduled to pitch Game 2 for the Matadors. ... Glendale is coming into the game after getting swept by No. 9 Eastern Arizona.

Arizona Western baseball at Eastern Arizona

Time: Noon today, Thatcher (DH)

Last game: The Matadors lost to Pima 7-1; The Gila Monsters beat Cochise 3-2

Records: AWC (9-6 overall, 1-1 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference); Eastern Arizona (8-6 overall, 1-1 ACCAC)

Players to watch: Sophomore outfielder Xavier Palmer has been a headache on the base paths for opponents, stealing nine bases and scoring 12 runs for the Matadors. ... Right-handed pitcher Indalecio Romo, who is starting Game 1 for the Gila Monsters, is 3-0 with a 1.10 ERA.

The lowdown: For at least the last four meetings, the Matadors and Gila Monsters have split the doubleheader. ... Brandon Anderson (1-0, 2.40 ERA) is starting Game 1 game for the Matadors and Richard Dutton (2-1, 2.79) takes the mound in Game 2. ... Arizona Western is hitting .252 on the year while Eastern Arizona has a .330 batting average in the early part of the season. However, the Matadors’ pitching has been strong with an team ERA of 2.56.
-Capsules by Jesse Severson