El Rancho hasn't had much luck against California recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Dons will host the Condors at 3:15 p.m. El Rancho is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
El Rancho took a 11-run loss the last time they faced off against Mark Keppel, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Dons narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Aztecs 5-3.
Jaelynn Barragan
| 04/25/25 vs Mark Keppel | 1 |
| 04/24/25 @ La Serna | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Santa Fe | 2 |
Jaelynn Barragan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on ten hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Lesly Valdez, who went 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one double. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. Daisha Bustamante was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, while California put up some runs on Thursday, the same can't be said for Santa Fe. The Condors blew past the Chiefs 10-0. Considering the Condors have won 11 matchups by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
California also got a great performance from Pricilla Ramirez as she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Hailey Chavolla and Lauren Trivino did most of the damage at the plate: Chavolla went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI, while Trivino went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those two RBI gave Trivino a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ally DeAlba, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
California was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .393. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Santa Fe only posted a batting average of .000.
California is on a roll lately: they've won 13 of their last 17 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-9 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games. As for El Rancho, their victory bumped their record up to 13-8-1.
Both El Rancho and California just can't seem to miss. The Dons have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.5 hits per game. However, it's not like California struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.6 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
El Rancho might still be hurting after the 12-2 defeat they got from California in their previous meeting on April 10th. Will the Dons 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.
