The Notre Dame (SO) Knights will square off against the El Modena Vanguards at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Notre Dame (SO) is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against El Segundo, sneaking past 12-10. The win was nothing new for the Knights as they're now sitting on five straight.
Nadia Ledon was a standout: she fired off two home runs and three runs while going 3-for-4. That's the most home runs she has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Kelsey Luderer, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: Notre Dame (SO) lost a few balls and finished the game with five home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, El Modena faced Rosary Academy in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Vanguards skirted past the Royals 7-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Vanguards.
El Modena also got a great performance from Sara Pinedo as she pitched 5.1 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits.
On the hitting side, Parker Mayes was a standout: she got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Kylie Tafua, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Notre Dame (SO) pushed their record up to 25-5 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.2 runs over those games. As for El Modena, their victory bumped their record up to 20-8.
El Modena's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Notre Dame (SO) has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .468. It's a different story for El Modena, though, as they've only averaged .356. Will they be able to contain Notre Dame (SO)'s hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
