Dons
| 02/27/25 vs Foothill Tech | 21 |
| 02/25/25 @ Bishop Diego | 4 |
| 02/22/25 vs Channel Islands | 14 |
| 02/20/25 vs Carpinteria | 22 |
| 02/18/25 vs Hueneme | 0 |
The Santa Barbara Dons will challenge the Newbury Park Panthers at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Santa Barbara is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 12.2 runs per game this season.
Santa Barbara barely beat Foothill Tech the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Everything went Santa Barbara's way against Foothill Tech on Thursday as Santa Barbara made off with a 21-11 victory. The result was nothing new for the Dons, who have now won three games by ten runs or more so far this season.
Santa Barbara got a massive performance out of Ava Karman, who went 3-for-5 with one home run, four runs, and one triple. That's the most runs Karman has posted since back in February of 2024. Victoria Arellano was another key player, going a perfect 5-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.
Santa Barbara was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .600. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .429 or higher in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Newbury Park entered their contest against Simi Valley on Thursday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. Newbury Park fell just short of Simi Valley by a score of 8-6. While the Panthers didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Pioneers 4-0 in the first period.
Janessa Gutierrez made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Lily Johnson, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
Santa Barbara pushed their record up to 3-2 with the win, which was their third straight at home. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 13 runs. As for Newbury Park, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-2.
Saturday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Santa Barbara has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .572. However, it's not like Newbury Park struggles in that department as they've averaged .437. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
