Softball Game Preview: Hillcrest Trojans vs. Tahquitz Titans

Hillcrest has gone 8-1 against Tahquitz recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Trojans will venture away from home to square off against the Titans at 3:15 p.m. Hillcrest is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.

Thursday just wasn't the day for Hillcrest's offense. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Arlington on Thursday.

Ashley James

Batters Struck Out

04/24/25 @ Arlington	6
04/22/25 vs Heritage	11
04/17/25 @ Canyon Springs	10
04/15/25 vs JW North	8
04/10/25 @ Vista del Lago	12
04/08/25 vs Arlington	7

Ashley James was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over six innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.

Meanwhile, Tahquitz made easy work of West Valley on Wednesday and carried off a 20-5 win. The victory continues a trend for the Titans in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won eight in a row.

Jade Reyes was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Vanessa Garcia, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.

Hillcrest has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 13-11 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Tahquitz, the win got them back to even at 8-8.

Hillcrest took their victory against Tahquitz when the teams last played back in February of 2022 by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Trojans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.