Softball Game Preview: Yorba Linda Mustangs vs. Crean Lutheran Saints

The Yorba Linda Mustangs will take on the Crean Lutheran Saints at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. Crean Lutheran took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Yorba Linda, who comes in off a win.

Yorba Linda took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. Everything went their way against Troy as they made off with an 8-2 victory.

Sydney Chirco spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on three hits.

On the hitting side, Liliya Cartledge was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Claire Gress was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.

Meanwhile, Crean Lutheran was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their ninth straight defeat. They came up short against Troy, falling 11-0.

Yorba Linda pushed their record up to 10-9 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Crean Lutheran, their loss dropped their record down to 5-15.

Everything went Yorba Linda's way against Crean Lutheran when the teams last played two weeks ago, as Yorba Linda made off with a 25-1 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.