The King's Academy Knights will challenge the Gilroy Mustangs on Saturday. King's Academy is coming into the match hot, having won their last ten games.
King's Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Live Oak a 3-0 shutout. Three seems to be a good number for the Knights as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Katia Nesper
| 05/27/25 vs Live Oak | 18 |
| 05/24/25 vs Hollister | 18 |
| 05/15/25 vs Burlingame | 11 |
| 05/12/25 vs Valley Christian | 13 |
| 05/08/25 @ Hillsdale | 9 |
| + 10 more games |
Katia Nesper was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 18 over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one triple and two RBI.
Nesper wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Mia Bennette, who went 1-for-4 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, Gilroy narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Saratoga 1-0. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Mustangs.
Not much got past Ariela Yslava, who gave up just a hit and racked up 14 Ks to keep Saratoga off the board.
Gilroy hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Saratoga struck out 14 times.
Gilroy's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 20-7. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.3 runs on average over those games. As for King's Academy, their record is now 19-7.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. King's Academy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .312. However, it's not like Gilroy struggles in that department as they've averaged .360. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
King's Academy skirted past Gilroy 1-0 when the teams last played back in March. Will the Knights repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
