The Sonora Raiders will square off against the El Dorado Golden Hawks at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Sonora 3.8, El Dorado 2.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Sonora turned things around against Yorba Linda on Thursday. They walked away with an 11-6 win over the Mustangs.
Anela Quinones was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two runs.
In other batting news, Samantha Jaimes was incredible, going 3-for-5 with two triples, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Savannah Saiza, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, two RBI, and one double.
Sonora lost a few balls and finished the game with four home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for El Dorado, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Villa Park on Thursday as they made off with a 7-1 victory. Considering the Golden Hawks have won 12 matchups by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Emily Yoon spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on nine hits.
On the hitting side, Renay Chavez was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one run. Remmi Marquez was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
El Dorado pushed their record up to 16-11 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.3 runs over those games. As for Sonora, their win bumped their record up to 16-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Sonora has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like El Dorado struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
