Junipero Serra hasn't had much luck against Valley Christian recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Padres will face off against the Warriors at 7:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Junipero Serra 2.8, Valley Christian 1.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Junipero Serra is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They walked away with a 7-4 victory over Saint Francis. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Padres.
Nate Hui made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple and one RBI.
Aaron Maier
| 05/28/25 vs Saint Francis | 3 |
| 04/29/25 vs Archbishop Mitty | 2 |
| 05/06/25 @ Archbishop Riordan | 1 |
| 05/03/25 @ Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory | 1 |
| 04/11/25 @ Archbishop Mitty | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aaron Maier, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Aaron Minton was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Valley Christian had just enough and edged out Los Gatos 4-2 on Wednesday.
Like Junipero Serra, Valley Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Quinten Marsh. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over 4.1 innings pitched. Marsh was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one double.
In other pitching news, Rohan Kasanagottu looked comfortable as he pitched 2.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits.
Back at the plate, Jordan Ortiz was excellent, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI.
Valley Christian has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 25-6-1 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. As for Junipero Serra, their victory bumped their record up to 25-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Junipero Serra has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Valley Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Junipero Serra might still be hurting after the 10-4 loss they got from Valley Christian when the teams last played back in April. Can the Padres avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
