Softball Game Preview: San Mateo Bearcats vs. Hillsdale Fighting Knights

Bearcats

Runs

04/15/25 @ Burlingame	10
04/10/25 vs King's Academy	5
04/08/25 vs Aragon	7
03/29/25 vs Presentation	7
03/27/25 vs Capuchino	1
+ 9 more games

San Mateo is 0-10 against Hillsdale since April of 2019 but things could change on Thursday. The Bearcats will venture away from home to face off against the Fighting Knights at 4:00 p.m. San Mateo is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.

San Mateo barely beat Burlingame the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Bearcats put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 10-2 victory on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Bearcats have posted against the Panthers since April 5, 2022.

The team relied heavily on Destina Zhou, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Jana Davies, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4.

San Mateo kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Hillsdale's offense. They fell 3-0 to King's Academy on Tuesday. The Fighting Knights' loss signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.

Hillsdale saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sophia Shelton, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.

San Mateo has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.6 runs on average over those games. As for Hillsdale, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-6-1.

Hillsdale's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: San Mateo has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .434. It's a different story for Hillsdale, though, as they've only averaged .326. Will they be able to contain San Mateo's hitters?

San Mateo suffered a grim 9-0 defeat to Hillsdale in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Bearcats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.