Softball Game Preview: Mission College Prep Royals vs. Righetti Warriors

The Mission College Prep Royals will challenge the Righetti Warriors at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Mission College Prep has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Righetti will arrive with four straight victories.

Mission College Prep fell victim to Bullard and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They fell just short of the Knights by a score of 2-0.

Dani Rivas spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on ten hits and racked up 12 Ks.

The home team had come away the winner the last six times Righetti and Lompoc had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Warriors had just enough and edged out the Braves 3-2. That's two games straight that the Warriors have won by just one run.

Emily Fortin made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off seven hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, Sereniti Lopez was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-4. Another player making a difference was Natalia Cervantes, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances.

Righetti's win bumped their record up to 12-4. As for Mission College Prep, their loss dropped their record down to 7-12.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mission College Prep has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Righetti struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Mission College Prep suffered a grim 7-0 defeat to Righetti in their previous matchup last Wednesday. Will the Royals have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.