The Castro Valley Trojans will head out to square off against the Dougherty Valley Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Dougherty Valley's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Friday: Castro Valley hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Trojans' pitcher stepped up to hand San Leandro an 11-0 shutout on Wednesday. Castro Valley's win was all the more impressive since the Pirates were averaging only 2.53 runs allowed on the season.
Alanys Robertson made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over six innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Zaylee Gutierrez, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. Alicya Robertson also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Castro Valley lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in February of 2024.
Meanwhile, Dougherty Valley hadn't done well against Amador Valley recently (they were 0-7 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Wildcats put the hurt on the Dons with a sharp 18-8 victory.
Dougherty Valley got a massive performance out of Marissa Lee, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBI. Those three hits gave Lee a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Marisa Rhee, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs.
Castro Valley's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-3. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Dougherty Valley, their record is now 9-6.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Castro Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .383. However, it's not like Dougherty Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .343. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
