The Exeter Monarchs will venture away from home to face off against the South Spartans at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. Exeter is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.5 runs per game this season.
Exeter will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Thursday, then bounced right back against Mendota on Saturday. The Monarchs put the hurt on the Aztecs with a sharp 20-11 victory. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Monarchs, who until this game were averaging 3.28 runs allowed.
Cade McElmoyl
| 04/12/25 vs Mendota | 2 |
| 04/02/25 @ Hanford West | 1 |
| 03/29/25 vs Woodlake | 1 |
| 03/24/25 vs Arvin | 1 |
| 03/22/25 @ Tulare Union | 1 |
Exeter let Owen Robertson and Cade McElmoyl run wild. Robertson scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances, while McElmoyl scored three runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-4. Those two stolen bases gave McElmoyl a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ivan Pepe, who went 1-for-3 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, while South put up some runs on Saturday, the same can't be said for Corcoran. The Spartans were the clear victors by an 8-0 margin over the Panthers.
The result came thanks to Josh Encinas's shutout, as he gave up just a hit and racked up 11 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Jose Bojorquez was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI. He has become a key player for South: the team is 9-3 when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 2-3 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Tomas Encinas, who scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Exeter's win bumped their record up to 13-5. As for South, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-6 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Exeter has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like South struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Exeter came out on top in a nail-biter against South in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, sneaking past 2-0. Do the Monarchs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Spartans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
