Softball Game Preview: Hug Hawks vs. South Tahoe Vikings

Hug hasn't had much luck against South Tahoe recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Hawks will head out to square off against the Vikings at 2:00 p.m. Hug is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.

Having struggled with six defeats in a row, Hug turned things around against Wooster on Wednesday. They put the hurt on the Colts with a sharp 26-16 win. The Hawks not only won on Wednesday, but they posted their biggest win since March 22nd (when they won 19-4).

Juliana Ruiz was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Ruiz was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI.

Charbel Ruiz

Runs (Career)

04/16/25 @ Wooster	4
04/05/25 vs Truckee	1
03/22/25 vs Wooster	1
03/01/25 vs Virginia City	1

In other batting news, Hug got a massive performance out of Charbel Ruiz, who went 3-for-4 with six stolen bases, four runs, and three RBI. Those four runs gave Ruiz a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kaitlyn De La Torre Jackson, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI.

Hug always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .809. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Meanwhile, South Tahoe fell victim to North Valleys and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They came up short against the Panthers, falling 14-0. Having soared to a lofty 25 runs in the game before, the Vikings' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

The victory was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 3-13. As for South Tahoe, their loss dropped their record down to 6-13.

Hug couldn't quite finish off South Tahoe when the teams last played back in March and fell 15-13. Can the Hawks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.