The Quartz Hill Royals will challenge the El Toro Chargers at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday. Quartz Hill is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.7 runs per game this season.
Quartz Hill is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They came out on top against Ventura by a score of 8-4.
Dakota Ponder
| 05/15/25 @ Ventura | 6 |
| 04/17/25 @ Eastside | 6 |
| 04/16/25 vs Highland | 15 |
Dakota Ponder spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on nine hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Janelle Garcia, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Julissa Lopez, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Quartz Hill kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, El Toro sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 victory over Diamond Ranch on Thursday.
El Toro also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Hayden Stofle gave up three earned runs on four hits and racked up 11 Ks.
At the plate, Ellie Mattocks was excellent, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one run. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Emerson Rollins, who went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
El Toro pushed their record up to 12-12-1 with the win, which was their third straight at home. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of two runs across that stretch. As for Quartz Hill, their victory bumped their record up to 18-7.
El Toro's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Quartz Hill has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .471. It's a different story for El Toro, though, as they've only averaged .341. Will they be able to contain Quartz Hill's hitters? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
