Soledad hasn't had much luck against Carmel recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Aztecs will look to defend their home field against the Padres at 4:30 p.m.
Last Tuesday, Soledad came up short against King City and fell 8-4.
Kassandra Hernandez was huge no matter where she played even without the win. On the mound, she struck out six batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off eight hits (and not a single walk). Hernandez was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Maria Villarruel was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-4. Another player making a difference was Arlette Mosqueda, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Carmel made easy work of Rancho San Juan on Friday and carried off a 15-4 win. Considering the Padres have won four matches by more than nine runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Carmel got a massive performance out of Nicole Tapson, who scored two runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Lily Beals, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Carmel's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-3. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.8 runs over those games. As for Soledad, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-3.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Soledad hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .344. However, it's not like Carmel struggles in that department as they've averaged .377. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Soledad might still be hurting after the 9-3 loss they got from Carmel in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Aztecs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
