vs
| 04/30/25 - Away | 9-1 W |
| 05/09/24 - Away | 1-2 L |
| 04/23/24 - Home | 5-1 W |
| 03/05/24 - Neutral | 5-2 W |
| 05/11/23 - Home | 1-12 L |
| + 5 more games |
Mission Hills and San Marcos are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2021, but likely not for long. The Grizzlies will host the Knights at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Neither Mission Hills nor San Marcos posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.
Mission Hills' usually-dominant pitching crew will be looking to make up for Friday's struggle, when Del Norte hitters got past them. The Grizzlies came up short against the Nighthawks on Friday, falling 10-1. The Grizzlies' loss signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, San Marcos had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 3 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 2-1 W against the Broncos. The game was the first time the Knights have beaten the Broncos on their field since May 5, 2022.
Isabella Esparza made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits. What's more, she posted three strikeouts, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lily Barstad, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one run. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high.
San Marcos' victory bumped their record up to 15-11. As for Mission Hills, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-9.
San Marcos' hitters will have their work cut out for them on Monday. Mission Hills has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for San Marcos, though, as they've been averaging only 3.2 strikeouts. Will Mission Hills keep running through batters, or will the Knights buck the trend?
Mission Hills took their win against San Marcos in their previous matchup last Wednesday by a conclusive 9-1 score. Do the Grizzlies have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
