Softball Recap: La Quinta Comes Up Short

La Quinta and Orange pushed the score to 19-11 the last time they played Orange, but on Wednesday defenses reigned supreme. The Aztecs fell just short of the Panthers by a score of 3-1. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Panthers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 19-11 back in March.

Julainy Castanon spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three runs (all of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up eight Ks. She also tossed a walk, marking her first of the season.

At the plate, La Quinta saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kailey Huynh, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.

La Quinta has also traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-7 record this season. As for Orange, their win ended an eight-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 3-9.

Coming up, La Quinta will face off against Estancia at 3:15 p.m. on Friday. The Eagles have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 10.31 runs per game on average), something the Aztecs will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Orange, they will square off against Santa Ana Valley at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. The Falcons will roll in looking for their seventh straight victory, something the Panthers surely won't give up without a fight.