The Santa Fe Chiefs will square off against the El Rancho Dons at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Santa Fe took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 10-3 margin over Whittier. The high-scoring effort was just what the Chiefs needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Santa Fe got a great performance from Mia Alvarez as she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over six innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts Alvarez has posted since back in February of 2024.
At the plate, Lexi Munoz was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one double. That's the most runs she has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooklyn Coppin, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last game, El Rancho made sure to put some runs up on the board against St. Paul on Monday. The Dons were the clear victors by an 11-5 margin over the Swordsmen. The Dons might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by six runs or more this season.
Lauren Cervantes looked comfortable as she tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Delilah Gonzalez, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. Malaya Vargas was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
El Rancho's win bumped their record up to 11-7-1. As for Santa Fe, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 8-10.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Santa Fe hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .343. However, it's not like El Rancho struggles in that department as they've averaged .356. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Santa Fe might still be hurting after the 13-3 loss they got from El Rancho in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Will the Chiefs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
