The Irvine Vaqueros will square off against the Arroyo Knights at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Irvine comes in on six and Arroyo on 11.
Irvine is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They blew past Granite Hills 16-2.
Midori De Los Santos made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. De Los Santos was also big at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two runs and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in May of 2025.
In other pitching news, Carlee Lombardo looked comfortable as she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Harper Vandermolen
| 05/23/26 vs Granite Hills | 3 |
| 05/20/26 vs Heritage | 4 |
| 05/16/26 vs Lakeside | 4 |
Back at the plate, Irvine got a massive performance out of Harper Vandermolen, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Vandermolen has been hot recently, having posted three or more RBI the last three times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Katie Liu, who went 3-for-5 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs.
Irvine was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .583. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .333 or higher in six consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Arroyo got the win against Hesperia Christian on Saturday by a conclusive 11-4. The result was nothing new for the Knights, who have now won 13 contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Emily Rubalcava spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on six hits.
At the plate, Alina Linn was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double. Another player making a difference was Ayleen Bravo, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Irvine's record now sits at 15-16. As for Arroyo, their record is now 19-9.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Irvine hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .317. However, it's not like Arroyo struggles in that department as they've averaged .505. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
