The El Monte Lions will face off against the Garey Vikings at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. El Monte is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.
El Monte is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Marshall 16-2 last Monday. Considering the Lions have won eight games by more than six runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Victoria Valdez
| 05/05/25 @ Marshall | 8 |
| 03/04/25 vs Garey | 5 |
| 02/23/24 @ San Gabriel | 5 |
| 02/21/25 vs Baldwin Park | 4 |
| 04/04/25 @ Gabrielino | 3 |
Victoria Valdez made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Those eight strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season.
In other batting news, Naima Rodriguez was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one double. That's the most runs she has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Julissa Flores, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
El Monte always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .647. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Garey walked away with it. They won by a run and slipped past the Lobos 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Vikings have posted since April 19, 2024.
The team relied heavily on Micaela Ortiz, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Tatiana Navarro was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Garey has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 10-13 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.2 runs over those games. As for El Monte, their victory bumped their record up to 11-7.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. El Monte hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .350. However, it's not like Garey struggles in that department as they've averaged .345. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
El Monte suffered a grim 22-6 defeat to Garey when the teams last played back in March. Can the Lions avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
