Monte Vista Christian and Alisal are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. Monte Vista Christian will face off against Alisal at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Monte Vista Christian is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 21-8 margin over North Monterey County on Tuesday. The win was nothing new for the Mustangs as they're now sitting on three straight.
Harper Ealy Whitby
| 03/25/25 @ North Monterey County | 9 |
| 03/04/25 vs Gonzales | 7 |
| 03/10/25 vs Pajaro Valley | 5 |
| 03/07/25 vs Santa Clara | 5 |
| 03/01/25 @ Kennedy | 5 |
Harper Ealy Whitby was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. Those nine strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Monte Vista Christian let Kayla Fullalove-Silveira and Samantha Bertoldi run wild. Fullalove-Silveira scored six runs and stole four bases while getting on base in all six of her plate appearances, while Bertoldi scored five runs and stole five bases while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances. With that strong performance, Bertoldi is now averaging an impressive 2.1 runs per game. Another player making a difference was Addie Boles, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in four of her six plate appearances.
Monte Vista Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .560. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Alisal made easy work of Palma on Friday and carried off a 9-2 victory. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three contests by seven runs or more this season.
Nevaeh Lopez made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching four innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Micah Smith was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3. Aaliyah Ruiz also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Alisal has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 3-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. Monte Vista Christian's victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 7-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Monte Vista Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Alisal struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Monte Vista Christian suffered a grim 17-7 defeat to Alisal in their previous matchup last Tuesday. Can Monte Vista Christian avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
