Softball Game Preview: Arroyo Knights vs. South El Monte Eagles

The Arroyo Knights are taking a road trip to challenge the South El Monte Eagles at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Arroyo is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 23-2 margin over Marshall on Wednesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Knights with their most commanding win of the season.

Meanwhile, South El Monte entered their tilt with Rosemead on Wednesday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They never let the Panthers get on the board and left with a 15-0 win.

Nadine Gutierrez was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-2. That run marked the first that she scored this season.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Loreli Castrejon, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. What's more, she posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Faith Magana, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-3.

South El Monte kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 19 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive games.

South El Monte's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-5. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Arroyo, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-7-1 record this season.

Arroyo might still be hurting after the 7-1 loss they got from South El Monte in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Knights avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.