Payne Tech extended their losing streak to four on Thursday, dropping them down to 5-12. They took a 12-8 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bloomfield Bengals. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Lions of the 14-4 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in April of 2024.
Leilani Oyola was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the first time she hasn't allowed a single hit since back in April. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. That double marked the first that she has hit this season.
Olivia Mendez
| 05/07/26 vs Bloomfield | 3 |
| 05/01/26 @ Bayonne | 4 |
| 04/24/26 vs Millburn | 3 |
In other batting news, Olivia Mendez was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one run and one double. She has been hot recently, having posted three or more hits the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Jaritza Ayala, who went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
As for Bloomfield, they pushed their record up to 12-12 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games.
On Bloomfield's side, Teagan Weber was excellent, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Abigail Dawson was another key player, going 1-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Looking ahead, Payne Tech will be playing at home against Belleville at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Bloomfield, they will venture away from home to challenge Caldwell at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The Chiefs will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.
