La Serna is 8-2 against El Rancho since March of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Lancers will head out on the road to challenge the Dons at 3:15 p.m. La Serna's pitching crew has only allowed 3.5 runs per game this season, so El Rancho's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
La Serna was handed a heart-breaking two-run loss in their last match, but they sure didn't let that happen against Santa Fe on Thursday. The Lancers blew past the Chiefs 8-1. The result was nothing new for the Lancers, who have now won five games by six runs or more so far this season.
La Serna got a great performance from Karina Torres as she pitched six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits.
Emma Apodaca
| 04/03/25 @ Santa Fe | 3 |
| 02/18/25 @ St. Paul | 2 |
| 03/07/24 vs Whittier Christian | 2 |
| 02/22/24 @ La Habra | 2 |
| 03/29/25 vs Redondo Union | 1 |
On the hitting side, Emma Apodaca was a standout: she scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Aubrie Baruch was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
La Serna was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .414. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Santa Fe only posted a batting average of .167.
Meanwhile, El Rancho entered their tilt with Whittier on Thursday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They walked away with a 10-7 win over the Cardinals.
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.
At the plate, 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. The team also got some help courtesy of Delilah Gonzalez, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
La Serna pushed their record up to 9-5 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for El Rancho, their record is now 10-5-1.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. La Serna hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .339. However, it's not like El Rancho struggles in that department as they've averaged .372. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
