Saint Mary hasn't had much luck against Pinole Valley recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Panthers will venture away from home to face off against the Spartans at 4:30 p.m. Pinole Valley took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Saint Mary's, who comes in off a win.
On Monday, Saint Mary's earned a 4-1 win over De Anza. The victory continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Dons: they've now won eight in a row.
Isabelle Koehn spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits. Those hits were her first of the season.
Sophia Detwiler
| 04/14/25 @ De Anza | 2 |
| 03/21/25 @ St. Patrick-St. Vincent | 1 |
| 03/19/25 @ Albany | 1 |
| 04/15/24 @ Pinole Valley | 1 |
At the plate, Abigail Ambrose and Sophia Detwiler did most of the damage at the plate: Ambrose scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-2, while Detwiler scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Those two stolen bases gave Detwiler a new career-high. London Crawford was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Pinole Valley was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 4-3 heartbreaker at the hands of Salesian College Preparatory. Spartans 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 Monday.
Pinole Valley also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Mckenzie Ortega gave up four runs (all of which were unearned) on nine hits and racked up 11 Ks. Ortega has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Ayla Serrano was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Saint Mary's win bumped their record up to 4-6. As for Pinole Valley, their defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 5-1 and their overall record down to 8-6.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Saint Mary's hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. However, it's not like Pinole Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .318. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Saint Mary's might still be hurting after the 13-3 loss they got from Pinole Valley in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
