Softball Game Preview: Hanford Bullpups vs. Mission Oak Hawks

The Hanford Bullpups will venture away from home to take on the Mission Oak Hawks at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Hanford comes in on three and Mission Oak on seven.

On Wednesday, Hanford got the win against Tulare Western by a conclusive 14-3.

Kayleigh Roberts spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on seven hits.

On the hitting side, Jenna Douthat was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Jazzmyn Rojas, who went 4-for-5 with six RBI and one run.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Hanford kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last four times Mission Oak and Tulare Union have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Wednesday. The Hawks walked away with a 4-1 win over the Tribe.

Mission Oak saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Maleena Martin, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Taylor Shepherd was another, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.

Mission Oak pushed their record up to 14-9-1 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Hanford, their record now sits at 9-13-2.

Hanford came up short against Mission Oak in their previous meeting two weeks ago, falling 8-3. Can the Bullpups avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.