The Royal Highlanders will take on the Simi Valley Pioneers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Royal is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over St. Bonaventure two weeks ago. The result was nothing new for the Highlanders, who have now won four contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Julianna Galbraith spent all five innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances.
Marilyn Augusta
| 03/21/25 vs St. Bonaventure | 3 |
| 04/25/24 vs Oak Park | 2 |
| 03/01/25 vs Kennedy | 1 |
| 02/17/24 vs Burbank | 1 |
On the hitting side, Royal got a massive performance out of Marilyn Augusta, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three RBI gave Augusta a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Hayden Miller, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Augusta wasn't the only one working in the home run department: Royal lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. The Highlanders are a perfect 4-0 when they post two or more home runs.
Meanwhile, Simi Valley entered their tilt with Oak Park on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They walked away with a 5-1 win over the Eagles.
Simi Valley also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Francesca Hall gave up only one earned run on four hits.
At the plate, Leah Ortega-Vasquez was a standout: she scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-2. Kylie Arellano was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Simi Valley pushed their record up to 11-5-1 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Royal, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 7-5.
Simi Valley's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Royal has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Simi Valley, though, as they've been averaging only 3.4 strikeouts. Will Royal keep running through batters, or will the Pioneers buck the trend?
Royal was able to grind out a solid win over Simi Valley in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 8-4. Do the Highlanders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Pioneers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
