Softball Game Preview: Poway Titans vs. El Modena Vanguards

The Poway Titans are taking a road trip to square off against the El Modena Vanguards at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Poway is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.

Poway is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They walked away with a 4-1 victory over Ayala.

Mya McGowan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on six hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.

Karissa Knapp

Runs Batted In (Career)

06/04/25 @ Ayala	2
05/02/25 @ San Marcos	1
04/09/25 vs San Marcos	1
04/03/25 vs Agoura	1
03/25/25 @ Patrick Henry	1

At the plate, Poway saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Karissa Knapp, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Those two RBI gave Knapp a new career-high.

On Saturday fans watched as two of the best teams in the nation hit the field. El Modena took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Norco. Having soared to a lofty 13 runs in the game before, the Vanguards' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

El Modena also got a good showing from Ashley Driskill, who tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.

With the loss, El Modena broke their four-game winning streak and moved their record to 22-9. As for Poway, their win bumped their record up to 24-8.

El Modena's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Poway hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .320. It's a different story for El Modena, though, as they've only averaged .259. Will they be able to contain Poway's hitters?

Poway took their victory against El Modena in their previous meeting back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 8-0 score. Will the Titans repeat their success, or do the Vanguards have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.