Softball Game Preview: Mt. Eden Monarchs vs. Berkeley Yellowjackets

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Previous 6 Games

05/07/25 - Home	1-11 L
03/21/25 - Home	1-3 L
05/08/24 - Away	5-8 L
04/17/24 - Away	7-2 W
03/15/24 - Away	17-5 W
04/11/23 - Home	17-7 W

Mt. Eden and Berkeley are an even 3-3 against one another since April of 2023, but likely not for long. The Monarchs will face off against the Yellowjackets at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Mt. Eden took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They blew past San Lorenzo 20-10. Considering the Monarchs have won five matchups by more than seven runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.

Meanwhile, Berkeley hadn't done well against Encinal recently (they were 0-7 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Yellowjackets' pitcher stepped up to hand the Jets a 1-0 shutout. That's two games straight that the Yellowjackets have won by just one run.

The result came thanks to Olive Lightfoot's shutout, as she gave up just four hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Berkeley saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was June Shaller, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases. Those two stolen bases gave Shaller a new career-high. Ayshia Bell Vorkoeper also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.

The victory made it two in a row for Berkeley and bumps their season record up to 4-1. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of one runs across that stretch. As for Mt. Eden, their record is now 5-2.

Mt. Eden might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from Berkeley in their previous meeting back in May of 2025. Can the Monarchs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.