The Arlington Lions will square off against the Orange Vista Coyotes at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. Arlington's pitching crew has only allowed three runs per game this season, so Orange Vista's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Orange Vista will be up against a hot Arlington squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. Arlington narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Citrus Valley 5-3.
Itzel Hernandez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on seven hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Mia Cortez was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. That home run marked the first that she launched this season. Another player making a difference was Ryleigh Pliego, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Arlington was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. The last time their batting average was this high was back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, Orange Vista came up short against Santiago on Tuesday and fell 8-5.
Nevaeh Bachman made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Danielle Zabala, who went 1-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Arlington pushed their record up to 5-2 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Orange Vista, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-5 record this season.
Orange Vista's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Arlington has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Orange Vista, though, as they've been averaging only 2.6 strikeouts. Will Arlington keep running through batters, or will Orange Vista buck the trend?
Arlington couldn't quite get it done against Orange Vista when the teams last played back in February as they fell 8-3. Will Arlington 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.
