Softball Game Preview: Paloma Valley Wildcats vs. Orange Vista Coyotes

For the second straight game, Paloma Valley will face off against Orange Vista. The Wildcats are taking a road trip to challenge the Coyotes at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. Paloma Valley's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Orange Vista's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Paloma Valley's usually-dominant pitching crew will be looking to make up for Tuesday's struggle, when Orange Vista hitters got past them. The Wildcats came up short against the Coyotes on Tuesday, falling 11-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Wildcats have suffered since February 22nd.

For Orange Vista's part, Emily Ruvalcaba spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on ten hits.

At the plate, Jayla Holley was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Those two RBI gave her a new career-high. Lina Robles was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.

Holley wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Orange Vista kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive games.

Orange Vista has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Paloma Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-5.

Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Paloma Valley hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1 home runs per game. However, it's not like Orange Vista struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.7 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.