Softball Game Preview: Royal Highlanders vs. Oak Park Eagles

For the first time this season, Royal will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup on Thursday. They will challenge the Oak Park Eagles at 3:30 p.m. Neither of those teams managed to put together many runs in their previous contests, so the offenses might be a little more motivated than usual.

Royal is headed into Thursday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Tuesday. They fell 6-1 to Westlake.

Julianna Galbraith

Batters Struck Out

03/18/25 vs Westlake	5
03/12/25 vs Thousand Oaks	6
03/10/25 @ Newbury Park	5
03/04/25 vs West Ranch	12
03/01/25 vs West Ranch	7
03/01/25 vs Kennedy	15

Julianna Galbraith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and three unearned) runs on seven hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Royal saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Skylar Gapol, who went 1-for-2 with one double. Mikaela Jones also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.

Meanwhile, Oak Park was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They lost 12-1 to Agoura.

Royal's defeat dropped their record down to 5-5. As for Oak Park, they now have a losing record of 4-5.

Royal was able to grind out a solid win over Oak Park in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, winning 8-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for Royal since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.