Softball Game Preview: Paramount Pirates vs. Downey Vikings

Paramount hasn't had much luck against Downey recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Pirates are taking a road trip to square off against the Vikings at 3:15 p.m.

La Mirada hit Paramount with a four-run second inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Pirates fell 8-3 to the Matadores.

Meanwhile, Downey can bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Thursday. They came out on top against Warren by a score of 6-1.

Leilani Kaiwi Gonzales spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on six hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Sophia Hernandez was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one double.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Downey kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in four consecutive matchups.

Downey pushed their record up to 15-9 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Paramount, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-11.

Paramount suffered a grim 17-6 defeat to Downey in their previous matchup on April 1st. Can the Pirates avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.