Softball Game Preview: Del Norte Nighthawks vs. Rancho Bernardo Broncos

Del Norte and Rancho Bernardo are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2021, but likely not for long. The Nighthawks will head out to challenge the Broncos at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

Rancho Bernardo will be up against a hot Del Norte team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Nighthawks sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 win over Carlsbad on Friday. That's two games straight that the Nighthawks have won by exactly two runs.

Alexis Kyles

Hits (Career)

04/04/25 vs Carlsbad	4
04/02/25 vs Mt. Carmel	3
03/31/25 vs Mira Mesa	3
03/08/25 vs Rancho Bernardo	3
05/02/24 vs Mission Hills	3

Alexis Kyles was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Lainey LLamas was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.

Kyles wasn't the only one making solid contact: Del Norte kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Rancho Bernardo posted their closest victory since April 30, 2024 on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Westview 5-3. The Broncos haven't had any issues with the Wolverines recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.

The team relied heavily on Nora Schwart, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. That triple was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Ellery Housand, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Del Norte's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-6-1. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of 1.67 runs across that stretch. As for Rancho Bernardo, the win got them back to even at 6-6-1.

Del Norte came out on top in a nail-biter against Rancho Bernardo in their previous meeting back in March, sneaking past 6-5. Will the Nighthawks repeat their success, or do the Broncos have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.