Softball Game Preview: Tulare Western Mustangs vs. Washington Union Panthers

The Tulare Western Mustangs are taking a road trip to take on the Washington Union Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Tulare Western has four straight victories, Washington Union has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Tulare Western proved they can win big last Tuesday (they won by 11) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out Selma 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Mustangs have posted since May 9, 2024.

Brookelyn Lancaster made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off ten hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one triple and one RBI. That triple marked the first that she hit this season.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Meiah Ledesma, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. That stolen base was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Alivea Salcedo, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2.

Tulare Western hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most two strikeouts in six consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Washington Union faced off against Sunnyside on Friday. Washington Union fell just short of Sunnyside by a score of 7-5.

Tulare Western's record now sits at 6-2-1. As for Washington Union, their loss dropped their record down to 1-5.