The Mercy Bears will square off against the Mills Vikings at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Mercy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.6 runs per game this season.
Things were looking good for Mercy after they put the first runs on the board on Wednesday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell 7-4 to Lowell.
Aveline Anderson
| 04/16/25 vs Lowell | 1 |
| 04/14/25 @ Harker | 5 |
| 04/11/25 vs Burlingame | 1 |
| 04/09/25 vs El Camino | 1 |
Aveline Anderson was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played. Andrea Martin also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Mills, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Gunn a 10-0 shutout on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Vikings, who have now won seven games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Hailey Pedroza tossed a big game, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits over five innings pitched. What's more, she posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in March of 2024.
On the hitting side, Jazzy Maske was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with three runs, three doubles, and two RBI. Those three doubles gave her a new career-high. Lucy Esquivel was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Mills was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .519. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Mills' win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-3-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Mercy, their loss dropped their record down to 9-8.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Mercy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. However, it's not like Mills struggles in that department as they've averaged .348. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mercy suffered a grim 22-6 defeat to Mills in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Bears avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
