The Paso Robles Bearcats will square off against the Burroughs Bears at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Paso Robles has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Burroughs will arrive with six straight victories.
Last Thursday, Paso Robles didn't have quite enough to beat Orcutt Academy and fell 3-2. That's two games in a row now that the Bearcats have lost by just one run.
Preslie Lyles spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, Paso Robles saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ashlynn Domingos, who went 1-for-3 with one run.
Meanwhile, Burroughs posted their closest win since April 1st on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out Crescenta Valley 4-2.
Burroughs also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Valentina Reyes gave up just two earned runs on six hits. Reyes has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Chloe Centeno was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in March. Karlee Earl was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Burroughs' victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-4. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Paso Robles, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-8-1.
Burroughs' hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Paso Robles has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Burroughs, though, as they've been averaging only 3.9 strikeouts. Will Paso Robles keep running through batters, or will the Bears buck the trend? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.