Softball Game Preview: Jal Panthers vs. Da Vinci Dragons

The Jal Panthers will take on the Da Vinci Dragons at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Jal lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Eunice, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Tuesday's game. The Panthers blew past the Cardinals 13-3 on Tuesday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Panthers as it spelled an end to their five-game losing streak.

Johnna Butts

Batters Struck Out

04/14/26 vs Eunice	5
04/14/26 vs Eunice	9
04/11/26 @ Loving	6
04/11/26 @ Loving	8
04/06/26 @ Non Varsity Opponent	7
+ 2 more games

Johnna Butts made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over six innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.

In other batting news, Jal got a massive performance out of Abigal Dardon, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. That's the most stolen bases Dardon has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Mayrin Nieto, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Da Vinci). They put the hurt on Socorro with a sharp 18-9 win back in March.

Da Vinci's victory bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Jal, their win was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 11-5.