San Marcos softball kicked off the 2025 season by going 2-1 over the weekend against Righetti, Newbury Park and Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary.
The Royals began the weekend with an 8-5 win over Righetti before falling to Newbury Park, 8-5, and taking down Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary, 13-3.
In the victory over Righetti, Solana Sandoval led the charge with a pair of doubles while Riley Zant went 2-for-3 in her first high school game.
The San Marcos offense outhit Newbury Park in the loss as Isa Malarkey went 3-for-4 and Sandoval tallied a pair of hits, including a three-run blast to left-center field to give her four RBI on the day.
“We had a tough 6th inning with some misplays and errors but overall I’m really proud of our outcome that game,” San Marcos head coach Emily Dietz said.
“We have a very young and very small team, and to hang tough with a seasoned and disciplined team like Newbury Park was a big positive for us.”
The Royals capped off the weekend with a mercy-rule win over Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary where Kayla Aguilar, Lucy Dessert and Reese Large each recorded multiple hits.
Dessert was in the circle for 19 of the team’s 21 innings, striking out a total of 14 batters.
San Marcos (2-1) will host Lompoc for its home opener on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Santa Barbara 14, Channel Islands 1
A 10-run third inning powered the Dons to a non-league rout of Channel Islands on Saturday.
Madison Benedict shined on the mound, tossing four scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out seven. Ava Karman closed out the game in the fifth.
“Madison pitched a great game today,” Santa Barbara High head coach Julie Kittle said. “She is pushing her limits and giving it her all. This was Ava’s first time on the mound and she was smiling after every pitch.”
Laila Hernandez provided the biggest blow in the third inning, clearing the bases on a triple off the wall. Meanwhile, Alanah Salas drove in three runs and Aleeya Zaragoza scored three times. Defensively, the Dons played errorless softball.
“We are moving players around on defense trying to find where everyone fits,” Kittle said. “The players are making the adjustments to their new positions. My assistant coaches and I are very happy with how the players are responding to our changes.”
Santa Barbara will be on the road against Bishop Diego on Tuesday.