El Rancho hasn't had much luck against La Serna recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Dons will look to defend their home field against the Lancers at 3:15 p.m. El Rancho knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past three contests -- so hopefully La Serna likes a good challenge.
Last Thursday, El Rancho beat Whittier 10-7. The victory continues a trend for the Dons in their matchups with the Cardinals: they've now won nine in a row.
Jaelynn Barragan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up eight Ks.
Malaya Vargas
| 04/03/25 @ Whittier | 4 |
| 03/20/25 @ Arroyo | 3 |
| 03/10/25 @ Roosevelt | 3 |
| 03/07/25 @ Norwalk | 3 |
| 02/28/25 vs Katella | 3 |
On the hitting side, El Rancho got a massive performance out of Malaya Vargas, who fired off two home runs, six RBI, and one double while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave Vargas a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Delilah Gonzalez, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Vargas wasn't the only one making solid contact: El Rancho kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. The Dons are undefeated (9-0) when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, La Serna made easy work of Santa Fe on Thursday and carried off an 8-1 win. Considering the Lancers have won five matchups by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Karina Torres tossed a big game, pitching six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits.
At the plate, Emma Apodaca was a standout: she scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. She also hit a triple, marking her first of the season. Aubrie Baruch was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
La Serna's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-5. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for El Rancho, their victory bumped their record up to 10-5-1.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. El Rancho hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .372. However, it's not like La Serna struggles in that department as they've averaged .339. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
El Rancho came out on top in a nail-biter against La Serna in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 6-5. Will the Dons repeat their success, or do the Lancers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
