The Taft Raiders will face off against the Harlan Hawks at 10:00 a.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Harlan will be up against a hot Taft team: the squad just extended their winning streak to five. Taft blew past Sotomayor 22-5 on Friday. The Raiders' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Alyssa Rangel made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over 4.2 innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs, four runs, and five RBI while going 4-for-6. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high.
Jacelyn Parks
| 03/07/25 @ Sotomayor | 3 |
| 03/01/25 @ Brandeis | 2 |
| 04/06/24 @ Stevens | 2 |
| 02/17/24 @ Marshall | 2 |
| 02/17/24 vs McCollum | 2 |
In other batting news, Taft got a massive performance out of Jacelyn Parks, who scored four runs and stole Two bases. while going 3-for-4. The dominant performance gave Parks a new career-high in hits. Another player making a difference was Sophia Quiroz, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
Taft was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .657. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .400 or higher in nine consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, it was a Battle of the Birds when Harlan duked it out with Stevens on Friday. Harlan was the clear victors by a 13-1 margin over Stevens. The victory continues a trend for the Hawks in their matchups with the Falcons: they've now won seven in a row.
Mckenzie Martinez looked comfortable as she pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Furthermore, she didn't allow a single walk, the first time she has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, Lauren Vallery was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. She also put up a triple, which was her first of the season. Bella Alvarado was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Harlan pushed their record up to 9-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Taft, their victory bumped their record up to 11-2.
Both Taft and Harlan just can't seem to miss. Taft has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 12.8 hits per game. However, it's not like Harlan struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.2 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Taft couldn't quite finish off Harlan in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 and fell 3-1. Will Taft have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
