Softball Game Preview: Perris Panthers vs. Citrus Hill Hawks

The Perris Panthers will venture away from home to take on the Citrus Hill Hawks at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. Perris has given up an average of 13.5 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Tuesday just wasn't the day for Perris' offense. They came up short against Moreno Valley on Tuesday, falling 16-0. The Panthers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Perris saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Carina Castaneda, who went 1-for-2 with one triple.

Meanwhile, Citrus Hill was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They lost 19-12 to Lakeside. Even though they lost, the Hawks' still made a splash at the plate and bumped their average scoring up to 6.5 runs per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).

Julia Gil was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That double was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Hailie Hernandez, who went 1-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.

Perris' loss dropped their record down to 4-8. As for Citrus Hill, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-7.

Citrus Hill's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Perris has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.6 hits per game. It's a different story for Citrus Hill, though, as they've been averaging 9.1 hits. Given Perris' sizable advantage in that area, the Hawks will need to find a way to close that gap.

Perris might still be hurting after the 15-1 loss they got from Citrus Hill in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.