Rio Mesa is a perfect 10-0 against Ventura since March of 2020 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Spartans will look to defend their home field against the Cougars at 3:30 p.m. Rio Mesa is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Rio Mesa and Dos Pueblos meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again last Friday. The Spartans won by a run and slipped past the Chargers 5-4.
Analia Lopez made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up four earned runs off seven hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than 11 strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and one double.
Rihyana Alvarez
| 04/11/25 @ Dos Pueblos | 2 |
| 04/04/25 vs Buena | 1 |
| 04/01/25 @ Buena | 1 |
| 02/21/25 @ Oak Park | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rihyana Alvarez, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run. Those two hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Sophia Roman, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Ventura, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They blew past San Marcos 10-3 on Friday. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine matches by seven runs or more this season.
Like Rio Mesa, Ventura also got a great game from a two-way player: Jessie Sebek. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over seven innings pitched. Sebek was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Brooklynn Bishop was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Ventura hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive contests.
Ventura has been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 14 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.1 runs over those games. As for Rio Mesa, they pushed their record up to 14-6 with the win, which was their seventh straight on the road.
Ventura's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Rio Mesa has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Ventura, though, as they've been averaging only 4 strikeouts. Will Rio Mesa keep running through batters, or will the Cougars buck the trend?
Everything went Rio Mesa's way against Ventura in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Rio Mesa made off with a 10-1 victory. Do the Spartans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cougars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
