Softball Game Preview: Simi Valley Pioneers vs. Oak Park Eagles

The Simi Valley Pioneers will venture away from home to square off against the Oak Park Eagles at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Simi Valley will be strutting in after a win while Oak Park will be coming in after a loss.

While Simi Valley's victory against Buena wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Pioneers skirted past the Bulldogs 5-3. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Pioneers.

Simi Valley got a great performance from Parker Ong as she pitched 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits.

At the plate, Allison Hinds was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one triple. Leah Ortega-Vasquez was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.

The scorekeeper got an easy start on Tuesday as neither Oak Park nor Royal made it on the board until the sixth inning. The Eagles fell just short of the Highlanders by a score of 2-1. The Eagles have struggled against the Highlanders recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.

Erika Samuels spent all 7.2 innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on eight hits.

On the hitting side, Claire Broberg was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-4 with one home run. That home run was her first of the season.

Simi Valley's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-7-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Oak Park, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-11.

Simi Valley beat Oak Park 5-1 in their previous matchup on April 1st. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pioneers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.