The Grace Lancers will venture away from home to face off against the Simi Valley Pioneers at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Grace is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.9 runs per game this season.
Grace took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Foothill Tech as they made off with an 18-1 victory. That 17 run margin sets a new team best for the Lancers this season.
Lexi Bower
| 04/08/25 vs Foothill Tech | 4 |
| 03/04/25 vs Vasquez | 3 |
| 02/27/25 @ Village Christian | 3 |
| 04/03/25 @ St. Bonaventure | 2 |
| 03/18/25 @ Fillmore | 2 |
Lexi Bower and Rosy Salazar made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Bower tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Salazar pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. At the plate, Bower scored four runs while going 4-for-4, while Salazar scored four runs while going 2-for-4. Those four runs gave Bower a new career-high.
In other batting news, Grace got a massive performance out of Isabella Cocca, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three hits gave Cocca a new career-high. Grace Maguire was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
Grace always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .583. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, Simi Valley's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They fell just short of Royal by a score of 5-3.
Francesca Hall was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off nine hits.
On the hitting side, Arianna Ochoa was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Aurora Zepeda, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Grace pushed their record up to 7-2 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 8.3 runs this season. As for Simi Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-6-1.
Simi Valley's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Grace has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Simi Valley, though, as they've been averaging only 4 strikeouts. Will Grace keep running through batters, or will the Pioneers buck the trend?
Grace was able to grind out a solid win over Simi Valley when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 4-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lancers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
