Softball Game Preview: St. Joseph Notre Dame Pilots vs. University Red Devils

St. Joseph Notre Dame and University are an even 3-3 against one another since May of 2022, but likely not for long. The Pilots will look to defend their home field on Thursday against the Red Devils at 4:00 p.m. St. Joseph Notre Dame is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.1 runs per game this season.

St. Joseph Notre Dame is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Salesian College Preparatory just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Wednesday. They took an 8-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Pride. Pilots fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Pride since on Wednesday.

Cassandra Sanchez

Batters Struck Out

04/16/25 vs Salesian College Preparatory	8
04/10/25 @ California School for the Deaf	8
04/08/25 @ Saint Mary's	13
04/02/25 vs California School for the Deaf	10
04/01/25 @ Redwood Christian	11
03/27/25 @ Antioch	10

Cassandra Sanchez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and three unearned) runs on 11 hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.

At the plate, St. Joseph Notre Dame saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Reagan Bowman, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.

University played against Head-Royce two weeks ago and won via forfeit.

The victory made it two in a row for University and bumps their season record up to 3-9. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for St. Joseph Notre Dame, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-5.

St. Joseph Notre Dame came out on top in a nail-biter against University in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, sneaking past 6-4. Do the Pilots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Red Devils turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.