Softball Game Preview: Portland Highlanders vs. Valley Regional Warriors

Portland hasn't had much luck against Valley Regional recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Highlanders will square off against the Warriors at 4:00 p.m. Portland will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each match than the last.

Having struggled with three losses in a row, Portland turned things around against University/Classical Magnet on Friday. They walked away with a 12-8 win over the Hawks.

The home team had won the previous three meetings between Valley Regional and Old Saybrook, and Valley Regional kept the tradition alive. The Warriors' pitcher stepped up to hand the Rams a 12-0 shutout on Thursday. Considering the Warriors' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.

Paige Williams made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over six innings pitched. Williams was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.

In other batting news, Valley Regional got a massive performance out of Nataly Pavon-Avila, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and two RBI. That's the most runs Pavon-Avila has posted since back in May of 2024. Juliana Spencer was another key player, going 2-for-4 with five stolen bases and two runs.

Valley Regional now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Portland, their record is now 2-4.

Portland might still be hurting after the 19-0 defeat they got from Valley Regional in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Highlanders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.