The Hondo Owls will take on the Southside Cardinals in a tournament on Saturday. The timing isn't great for Hondo: they have been struggling with five straight losses at home dating back to last season, while Southside has snatched up four consecutive wins on the road.
Hondo saw some tournament action on Friday. They lost 19-1 to Veterans Memorial. The match marked the Owls' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Hondo saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Araceli Fernandez, who scored a run while going 1-for-1. Fernandez also hit a double, marking her first of the season.
Even though they lost, Hondo hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Southside). They were the clear victor by a 14-2 margin over Wagner on Friday. While the Cardinals didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Destiny Rodriguez looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over four innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Jasmine Casias was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one triple. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Brisa Escobar was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3.
Hondo's loss dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Southside, their win bumped their record up to 6-0.
Saturday's match will be a test for both team's pitchers. Hondo hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having hit 0 of their hits per game. However, it's not like Southside struggles in that department as they've hit 0 of their hits this season. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hondo suffered a grim 11-2 defeat to Southside in their previous matchup back in March of 2020. Will Hondo have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
