Mills is on an 11-game streak of home wins, while Menlo-Atherton is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Vikings will welcome the Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mills had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt Sequoia on Wednesday. The Vikings put the hurt on the Ravens with a sharp 13-3 win.
Kalia Woo spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 16 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Mills got a massive performance out of Jazzy Maske, who went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles. Sydney Wong was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Mills always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .553. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Sequoia only posted an OBP of .320.
Meanwhile, Menlo-Atherton made easy work of Half Moon Bay on Tuesday and carried off an 11-4 victory. The Bears haven't had any issues with the Cougars recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Gracy Nava made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She pitched six innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. Nava was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple.
In other batting news, Kylie Cox was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Juliana Pandolfo, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Mills is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-3-1 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Menlo-Atherton, their win bumped their record up to 13-6.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Mills hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .376. However, it's not like Menlo-Atherton struggles in that department as they've averaged .354. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mills took their victory against Menlo-Atherton in their previous meeting two weeks ago by a conclusive 16-1 score. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bears turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
