Softball Game Preview: Eastlake Falcons vs. Franklin Cougars

The Eastlake Falcons will take on the Franklin Cougars at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Eastlake is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.3 runs per game this season.

Eastlake took a nine-run loss the last time they faced off against Eastwood, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Eastlake had just enough and edged out Eastwood 5-4.

Aydenn Estrada spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on nine hits.

At the plate, Eastlake's win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Annahi Valdez, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI. Alexis Garcia was another, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.

Meanwhile, Franklin fell victim to Socorro and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They came up short against the Bulldogs, falling 13-0. The defeat continues a trend for the Cougars in their meetings with the Bulldogs: they've now lost eight in a row.

Eastlake has been performing well recently as they've won 13 of their last 16 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-8 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. Franklin's loss dropped their record down to 7-14-1.

Everything went Eastlake's way against Franklin in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Eastlake made off with a 16-6 win. Does Eastlake have another victory up their sleeve, or will Franklin turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.