Softball Recap: Salinas Triumphs

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Previous Games

05/11/26 - Away	2-0 W
04/16/26 - Home	3-9 L
03/18/26 - Away	3-2 W
05/07/25 - Away	7-2 W
04/18/25 - Home	2-1 W
+ 5 more games

Salinas had lost three games on the road, but after bumping their record up to 17-8 on Monday that streak is in the rearview. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-0 victory over the Hollister Haybalers. Surprisingly, this marked the fourth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor in this series.

Not much got past Bella Machuca, who gave up just five hits and racked up seven Ks to keep Hollister off the board.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Isabella Hernandez, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played.

As for Hollister, with the defeat, they broke their five-game winning streak and moved their record to 19-6. The contest marked the first time this season in which they were not able to get on the board.

On Hollister's side, Sidney Esparza spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 11 Ks.

On the hitting side, Hollister saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Avery Chavez, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one double.

Salinas and Hollister should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps California Rankings. The Cowboys will square off against Watsonville at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday with a big rank advantage (95 vs. 547). Meanwhile, Hollister (ranked 39th) will meet Monterey (ranked 160th) at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Haybalers 2.7, the Toreadors 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.