Softball Game Preview: Providence Pioneers vs. Archer School for Girls Panthers

Providence is 1-7 against Archer School for Girls since April of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Pioneers will look to defend their home field against the Panthers at 3:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Archer School for Girls will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Providence extended their winning streak to four on Tuesday. The Pioneers put the hurt on Rio Hondo Prep with a sharp 14-7 win.

Madelynn Watts

Batters Struck Out

05/06/25 @ Rio Hondo Prep	11
05/05/25 @ Westridge	7
05/02/25 vs Flintridge Prep	11
04/29/25 @ Chadwick	13
04/24/25 vs Polytechnic	10
04/22/25 vs Mayfield	9

Madelynn Watts was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and five unearned) runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 4-for-5 with two runs. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March.

In other batting news, Evangelina Aleman and Delailah Lopez did most of the damage at the plate: Aleman went 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI, while Lopez went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Aleman continues to improve, besting her previous run total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Ariana Benito, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.

Providence kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. They are 9-1 when they post 11 or more hits.

Meanwhile, while Archer School for Girls put up plenty of runs on Monday, the same can't be said for St. Mary's Academy. The Panthers blew past the Belles 18-0. The victory was nothing new for the Panthers as they're now sitting on three straight.

Providence's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-4. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.6 runs over those games. As for Archer School for Girls, their win bumped their record up to 12-3.

Providence suffered a grim 17-5 defeat to Archer School for Girls in their previous meeting back in May of 2018. Can the Pioneers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.