Eastside hasn't had much luck against Lancaster recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Lions will be playing in front of their home fans against the Eagles at 3:15 p.m. Eastside will be strutting in after a win while Lancaster will be coming in after a loss.
Eastside took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Antelope Valley a 5-0 shutout.
Luz Navarro made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Navarro was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in February.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Julia Green, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two triples, three RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March of 2024. Bethanie Jimenez was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, after soaring to ten runs the game before, Lancaster was a bit more limited in their contest on Thursday. They fell just short of Quartz Hill by a score of 3-2. That's two games in a row now that the Eagles have lost by just one run.
Sam Salas spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Lancaster saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Elsy Herrera, who went 1-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Eastside pushed their record up to 10-5-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for Lancaster, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 6-4.
Eastside's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. The Lions have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Lancaster, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Eastside continue to outrun the ball?
Eastside suffered a grim 8-1 defeat to Lancaster in their previous matchup back in March. Will the Lions have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
