Softball Recap: Locke Comes Up Short

Locke had lost nine straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 1-5 to make it ten. They came up short against the Port of Los Angeles Polar Bears, falling 17-0. If the Saints were looking for revenge after losing 19-0 to the Polar Bears when the teams met back in April of 2024, then they'll just have to keep looking.

As for Port of Los Angeles, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten games. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games.

For Port of Los Angeles' part, Isabella Cardona made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Cardona has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jimena Vargas, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, seven RBI, and three runs. Those seven RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Rochelle Watkins, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one double, and one RBI.

While Locke had to take the loss, they won't have to wait long to give it another shot: the pair will be back at it again later today.