The Gilroy Mustangs will head out on the road to take on the Leland Chargers at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Gilroy will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
Gilroy proved they can win big on Tuesday (they won by 17) and on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They won by a run and slipped past Branham 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Mustangs have posted since March 22, 2024.
Ariela Yslava
| 03/20/25 vs Branham | 8 |
| 03/18/25 @ Leigh | 5 |
| 03/11/25 vs Salinas | 12 |
| 03/06/25 @ Valley Christian | 9 |
| 03/04/25 vs King's Academy | 13 |
| + 2 more games |
Ariela Yslava spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on one hit and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Bam Mendoza, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and one stolen base. That home run marked the first that she launched this season.
Gilroy hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Leland hadn't done well against Ann Sobrato recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Leland had just enough and edged out Ann Sobrato 6-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Chargers have posted against the Bulldogs since April 21, 2017.
Sabrina Chung was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits. Chung was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Leland let Bella Johnson and Irene Kim run wild. Johnson went 1-for-3 with three RBI and one double, while Kim scored a run and stole a base while going 4-for-4. Those three RBI gave Johnson a new career-high.
Gilroy's record now sits at 6-3. As for Leland, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
Leland's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Gilroy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Leland, though, as they've been averaging only 3.5 strikeouts. Will Gilroy keep running through batters, or will Leland buck the trend?
Gilroy took their victory against Leland when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 13-0. Will Gilroy repeat their success, or does Leland has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
