Rancho Bernardo hasn't had much luck against Mater Dei Catholic recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Broncos will face off against the Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. Rancho Bernardo's pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so Mater Dei Catholic's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Rancho Bernardo is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Escondido Charter 7-5. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Broncos.
The team relied heavily on Ellery Housand, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April.
Meanwhile, Mater Dei Catholic never let their opponents score on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Del Norte with a sharp 6-0 win. The Crusaders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 14 contests by six runs or more this season.
Not much got past Arri Romero, who gave up just four hits and racked up seven Ks to keep Del Norte off the board. Romero has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 20 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Gianna 'Gigi' Flores was incredible, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Maya Matthies, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Rancho Bernardo's record now sits at 18-8. As for Mater Dei Catholic, their record is now 26-3.
Rancho Bernardo couldn't quite finish off Mater Dei Catholic in their previous meeting back in March and fell 3-1. Can the Broncos avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
