Rancho San Juan has won four straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Carmel has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Trailblazers will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on the Padres at 4:00 p.m.
On Thursday, Rancho San Juan came up short against King City and fell 8-4. The Trailblazers haven't had much luck with the Mustangs recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.
Alyssa Castillo made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Delylah Magdaleno, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Carmel hadn't done well against Stevenson recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Padres blew past the Pirates 19-9. The Padres might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by ten runs or more this season.
Ava Mangiapane made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Mangiapane was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two triples, five RBI, and three runs. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Carmel got a massive performance out of Nicole Tapson, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, one triple, and one double. Lily Beals was another key player, scoring two runs while going 3-for-5.
Carmel hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Carmel has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.0 runs over those games. As for Rancho San Juan, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-3.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Rancho San Juan has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .744. However, it's not like Carmel struggles in that department as they've averaged .469. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
