Softball Game Preview: Lincoln Hornets vs. La Jolla Vikings

Lincoln is 2-7 against La Jolla since March of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Hornets will square off against the Vikings at 4:00 p.m. Lincoln is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.

Lincoln is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Orange Glen 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Hornets have posted since April 4, 2024.

Ashly Pineda made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off seven hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.

In other batting news, Brissa Hernandez was excellent, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI. Jada Blackman was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs.

Meanwhile, La Jolla waltzed into their match on Tuesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They walked away with a 15-10 win over the Colts.

La Jolla's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-13. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.7 runs over those games. As for Lincoln, their record is now 19-11.

Everything went Lincoln's way against La Jolla when the teams last played on May 9th, as Lincoln made off with a 20-8 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hornets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.