The Berkeley Yellowjackets will head out on the road to face off against the Arroyo Dons at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Berkeley has given up an average of 7.2 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.
Berkeley came up short against Foothill on Friday, falling 15-3.
Berkeley saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Maddie Saeturn, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI. Those hits were Saeturn's first of the season.
Meanwhile, Arroyo fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Heritage on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Patriots by a score of 7-6. The Dons haven't had much luck with the Patriots recently, as the team has come up short the last four times they've met.
Sadie Fernandez was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up five earned runs off 11 hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Aneesa Aguon was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-5. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in hits. Hailey Howard was another key player, going 2-for-5 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Even though they lost, Arroyo kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive contests.
Berkeley's record now sits at 2-2. As for Arroyo, their record is now 1-3.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Berkeley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .438. However, it's not like Arroyo struggles in that department as they've averaged .441. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Berkeley came up short against Arroyo in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 4-1. Can Berkeley avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
