Softball Game Preview: Mt. Shasta Bears vs. East Nicolaus Spartans

Mt. Shasta hasn't had much luck against East Nicolaus recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Bears will take on the Spartans at 4:00 p.m. Mt. Shasta is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.

Mt. Shasta is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 victory over Hamilton.

Emily Pigoni

Batters Struck Out

05/16/25 vs Hamilton	12
05/09/25 vs Trinity	8
05/09/25 vs Trinity	13
05/02/25 @ Modoc	5
05/02/25 @ Modoc	13
+ 4 more games

Emily Pigoni spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Kaira Rekhi, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run. She has been hot recently, having posted two or more stolen bases the last three times she's played. Kaley Lanier was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.

East Nicolaus played against Willows on Monday and won via forfeit.

East Nicolaus is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.8 runs over those games. As for Mt. Shasta, their victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-11-1.

Mt. Shasta might still be hurting after the 14-0 defeat they got from East Nicolaus when the teams last played back in May of 2023. Can the Bears avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.