Softball Game Preview: Santa Margarita Eagles vs. Orange Lutheran Lancers

Santa Margarita is 2-8 against Orange Lutheran since May of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Eagles will head out on the road to take on the Lancers at 3:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Santa Margarita 2.7, Orange Lutheran 2.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Santa Margarita's last matchup with Mater Dei could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's matchup on Tuesday. The Eagles lost 13-3 to the Monarchs. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Eagles have suffered since April 16, 2024.

Meanwhile, Orange Lutheran had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it seven on Wednesday. Everything went their way against the Griffins as they made off with a 9-2 victory. Considering the Lancers have won nine games by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.

Rylee Silva looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Kai Minor was incredible, going 1-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Chloe McGreevey, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.

Orange Lutheran's win bumped their record up to 22-3. As for Santa Margarita, their loss dropped their record down to 17-8-1.

Santa Margarita skirted past Orange Lutheran 8-7 in their previous meeting back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.