The Pinole Valley Spartans will challenge the De Anza Dons at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
On Wednesday, Pinole Valley got the win against St. Patrick-St. Vincent by a conclusive 19-1. The Spartans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine matches by six runs or more this season.
Mckenzie Ortega
| 04/30/25 @ St. Patrick-St. Vincent | 7 |
| 04/28/25 @ Saint Mary's | 10 |
| 04/25/25 @ Tamalpais | 8 |
| 04/22/25 vs El Cerrito | 10 |
| 04/16/25 vs Saint Mary's | 6 |
| + 14 more games |
Mckenzie Ortega made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with four runs and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Ayla Serrano and Julissa Sanchez did most of the damage at the plate: Serrano went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, four RBI, and one stolen base, while Sanchez got on base in all five of her plate appearances with three stolen bases and four runs. That's the most stolen bases Sanchez has posted since back in May of 2024. Mariah Davidson was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
Pinole Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 7-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, De Anza made easy work of Emery on Thursday and carried off an 18-2 win. The victory continues a trend for the Dons in their matchups with the Spartans: they've now won five in a row.
Like Pinole Valley, De Anza also got a great game from a two-way player: Ma'Yhana Moore. She struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Moore was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Riana Everetts was incredible, going 3-for-4 with five stolen bases, four runs, and three RBI. She continues to improve, besting her previous run total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Emily Garcia, who went 2-for-4 with four stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles.
Pinole Valley has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for De Anza, their victory bumped their record up to 4-10.
De Anza's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Pinole Valley has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.7 hits per game. It's a different story for De Anza, though, as they've been averaging 9.8 hits. Given Pinole Valley's sizable advantage in that area, the Dons will need to find a way to close that gap.
Pinole Valley took their win against De Anza when the teams last played back in March by a conclusive 10-0 score. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Dons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
