Softball Game Preview: El Modena Vanguards vs. Aliso Niguel Wolverines

The El Modena Vanguards will face off against the Aliso Niguel Wolverines at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

El Modena is looking to give their home crowd another W after opening their season at home on Thursday. They came out on top against Capistrano Valley by a score of 8-3.

Sara Pinedo spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks.

At the plate, Kaitlyn Galasso was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4. Lucy Mitchell was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-3.

El Modena was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Capistrano Valley only posted a batting average of .208.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Aliso Niguel). Everything went their way against El Toro on Tuesday as Aliso Niguel made off with a 12-2 win. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Wolverines have posted since April 25, 2024.

Aliso Niguel also got a great performance from Olivia Kuhnel as she struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest hits Kuhnel has allowed since back in April of 2024.

On the hitting side, Ella Haugo was a standout: she scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-5. She also hit two doubles, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Rylie Long, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-3.

El Modena might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Aliso Niguel in their previous matchup back in March of 2021. Will El Modena have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.