Softball Recap: Pinole Valley Has No Trouble Against Saint Mary's

The home team had come away the winner the last four times Pinole Valley and Saint Mary had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Spartans put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 10-4 victory on Monday. The Spartans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by six runs or more this season.

Mckenzie Ortega

Batters Struck Out

04/28/25 @ Saint Mary's	10
04/25/25 @ Tamalpais	8
04/22/25 vs El Cerrito	10
04/16/25 vs Saint Mary's	6
04/14/25 vs Salesian College Preparatory	11
+ 13 more games

Mckenzie Ortega made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off seven hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three runs, one double, and one RBI.

In other batting news, Katie Gonzalez and Baleigh Watkins did most of the damage at the plate: Gonzalez got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs and one RBI, while Watkins got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI, one run, and one double. That double was Watkins' first of the season. Gabriella Ornelas was another key player, going 3-for-5 with one run and one RBI.

Pinole Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .579. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Saint Mary's only posted an OBP of .303.

Pinole Valley's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 11-7. As for Saint Mary's, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-9.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Pinole Valley will face off against St. Patrick-St. Vincent at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Bruins have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 16.13 runs per game on average), something the Spartans will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Saint Mary's, they will square off against Salesian College Preparatory at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The Pride will roll in looking for their eighth straight victory, something the Panthers surely won't give up without a fight.