The Nipomo softball team racked up its second straight lopsided win against Santa Maria Thursday 18-4, in Santa Maria’s home opener.

The game was called after five innings because of the 10-run rule. The Titans beat the Saints 10-0 Tuesday at Nipomo.

Nipomo is 2-0. Santa Maria is 0-2. The game Thursday ended when back-up Nipomo catcher Natalie Mendez held on to a foul tip off the bat of Leilani Garcia for strike three.

“It’s a little hard to tell where we’re at (developmentally) because it’s so early in the season,” said Nipomo sophomore Alyssa Van Muysen.

“We’ll have a better idea after we play Mission Prep.”

Nipomo will host the Royals in a non-league game next Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The Royals compete in the Mountain League.

As for the Titans, “We’ve been moved up to the Sunset League,” said Nipomo coach Robert Oliver. The Titans won the 2025 Ocean League title after winning the CIF Central Section Division 6 championship in 2024.

Nipomo amassed 16 hits Thursday. The Titans scored nine runs in the fourth inning and three in the first, second and fifth.

Van Muysen had two hits and three RBIs Thursday. Nipomo shortstop Alie Camacho racked up four hits and two RBIs.

Nipomo reserve Camila Acosta drove in three runs, on a two-run single and a bases-loaded walk.

Six Titans had multiple hits: Arianna Lanier, Roxanna McLean and Sophia Quaresma jump started the Titans offense with consecutive two-out RBI doubles in the first:

Lanier was Nipomo’s starting catcher. She left the game after injuring her hand when Santa Maria’s Avery Regalado scored on a passed ball in the first inning. Before she left, Lanier plated a run in the second with a beautifully placed bunt that went for a base gut and an RBI.

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Regalado notched the two Santa Maria RBIs when she greeted relief pitcher Van Muysen, her team’s starting center fielder, with a two-run single in the fourth.

Van Muysen set down the Saints without a run in the fifth.

“I was throwing the curve ball, rise ball, screwball,” said Van Muysen, who had plenty of velocity on her pitches.

“Pitching’s my favorite position. I was the No. 2 pitcher for our team last year.”

Oliver said his team is “pretty young. We have a lot of returning starters, but they’re young.

“I let my freshman pitcher (Valerie Gonzalez) struggle a little bit,” before bringing in Van Muysen, said Oliver. Gonzalez held the Saints to one hit before struggling with her control some in the fourth.

Oscar Placencia is in his second year as Santa Maria’s coach.

“We’re really young,” said Placencia. “I have a bunch of freshmen and sophomores. I have one junior.

“Believe it or not, we’re better than we looked last year, and we were better last year than we were the year before. I coached rec ball, and a lot of these girls came up with me from rec ball.”

The Saints narrowly missed making the playoffs last year after going out in the first round the year before. Santa Maria will host Bakersfield Mira Monte in a non-league doubleheader Saturday. Games are slated to start at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

As for his own team, “We’ll have a better idea where we’re at when we play stronger competition,” said Oliver.