The Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders are taking a road trip to square off against the Rancho Bernardo Broncos at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Mater Dei Catholic is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.
Mater Dei Catholic picked up another tournament win on Tuesday. They walked away with a 9-5 win over Santana.
Arri Romero was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double.
In other pitching news, Analesse 'Peanut' Garcia looked comfortable as she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Maya Matthies, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Gianna 'Gigi' Flores, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Rancho Bernardo earned a 6-1 victory over Mission Vista on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Broncos in their matchups with Mission Vista: they've now won five in a row.
Like Mater Dei Catholic, Rancho Bernardo also got a great game from a two-way player: Zoey Meadows. She struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Meadows was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Ellery Housand was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. Gaby Lowe was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Rancho Bernardo kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mission Vista only managed two hits.
Mater Dei Catholic's record is now 8-1. As for Rancho Bernardo, their record now sits at 4-5-1.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Mater Dei Catholic has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.8 hits per game. However, it's not like Rancho Bernardo struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.2 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mater Dei Catholic beat Rancho Bernardo 6-2 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Mater Dei Catholic since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
