The Oak Park Eagles will face off against the Grace Lancers at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Oak Park is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Oak Park came up short against Moorpark on Thursday, falling 13-2. The Eagles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Oak Park saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sophia Casella, who went 1-for-3 with one run.
Grace's found some homefield redemption this week after a overtime loss to St. Bonaventure on Thursday. The Lancers never let Bishop Diego get on the board and left with a 16-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Lancers, who have now won 11 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Rosy Salazar was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Grace Maguire, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. What's more, she posted two doubles, the most she's had since back in March. Brooke Burns was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles.
Grace was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .600. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .308 or higher in six consecutive games.
Grace pushed their record up to 13-9 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Oak Park, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-10.
Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Oak Park hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .337. However, it's not like Grace struggles in that department as they've averaged .354. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Oak Park skirted past Grace 5-3 when the teams last played back in May of 2025. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do the Lancers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
