The Irvine Vaqueros will head out on the road to take on the Rosary Academy Royals at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Irvine will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run last Saturday, then bounced right back against University on Monday. The Vaqueros put the hurt on the Trojans with a sharp 13-2 victory. The Vaqueros not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since April 11, 2024.
Midori De Los Santos
| 04/07/25 vs University | 3 |
| 03/29/25 vs San Juan Hills | 2 |
| 03/24/25 vs Newport Harbor | 2 |
| 03/01/25 vs Granada Hills Charter | 2 |
| 03/20/25 @ Northwood | 1 |
Midori De Los Santos made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over six innings pitched. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in strikeouts (three). She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Irvine let Abby Sasaki and Katie Liu run wild. Sasaki scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while Liu scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Evelyn Shen also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Irvine kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. They are 3-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Rosary Academy waltzed into their contest on Monday with seven straight wins... but they left with eight. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Warriors a 3-0 shutout.
The result came thanks to Ava Phillips's shutout, as she gave up just four hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jenna Caldera, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Domonique McCoy, who went 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Rosary Academy's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-2-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Irvine, they moved to 4-12 with that win, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Irvine hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .328. However, it's not like Rosary Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .374. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
