Menlo-Atherton is 0-7 against Gunn since March of 2017 but things could change on Saturday. The Menlo-Atherton Bears will head out on the road to square off against the Gunn Titans at 11:00 a.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
On Thursday, Menlo-Atherton made easy work of Castilleja and carried off an 18-3 victory. The result was nothing new for the Bears, who have now won four matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Gracy Nava made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 1.2 stolen bases per game.
In other batting news, Juliana Pandolfo was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and one run. Faith Schubin also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Menlo-Atherton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .619. The last time their batting average was this high was back in March of 2024.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last game, Gunn made sure to put some runs up on the board against Castilleja on Tuesday. Gunn blew past Castilleja 12-2. The Titans haven't had any issues with the Gators recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Like Menlo-Atherton, Gunn also got a great game from a two-way player: Violet Hayes. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Hayes was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February of 2024.
In other batting news, Makena Smith was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Allison Novick, who scored three runs while going 2-for-2.
Menlo-Atherton's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-2. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to strikeouts: they averaged an imposing seven strikeouts in those games compared to only 2.33 in the others. As for Gunn, their record is now 5-3.
Menlo-Atherton's speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's contest. Menlo-Atherton has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Gunn, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Menlo-Atherton continue to outrun the ball?
Menlo-Atherton suffered a grim 13-6 defeat to Gunn in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can Menlo-Atherton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
