Softball Preview: Cupertino Pioneers vs. Notre Dame Regents
The Cupertino Pioneers will head out on the road to face off against the Notre Dame Regents at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Cupertino's favor is that they have posted big run totals in their last three games.
Cupertino is hoping to deliver their fans another blowout on Friday, just like they did against Palo Alto (and have done all season long). Cupertino was the clear victor by an 18-5 margin over Palo Alto on Thursday.
DJ Martinez made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits. Martinez has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't pitched less than five innings every time she's pitched this season. Martinez was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and four RBI.
In other batting news, Belle Walker was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Dayoung Jung, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, after soaring to ten runs the game before, Notre Dame was a bit more limited in their matchup on Tuesday. They fell victim to a rough 12-0 defeat at the hands of King's Academy. While getting shut out isn't ideal, Notre Dame has not been shut out since back in March.
Cupertino's win bumped their record up to 10-3. As for Notre Dame, their loss dropped their record down to 7-5.
Notre Dame's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Cupertino has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .538. It's a different story for Notre Dame, though, as they've only averaged .319. Will they be able to contain Cupertino's hitters?
Cupertino was able to grind out a solid victory over Notre Dame when the teams last played back in March of 2016, winning 6-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Cupertino since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
