Saint Mary is 1-9 against Pinole Valley since May of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Panthers will welcome the Spartans at 4:00 p.m. Saint Mary's is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.
Last Thursday, Saint Mary's made easy work of Head-Royce and carried off a 9-2 victory. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Jayhawks recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Isabelle Koehn was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over seven innings pitched. Koehn was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aoife Shen, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Zoe Buckner, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and two runs.
Meanwhile, Pinole Valley didn't have quite enough to beat Tamalpais on Friday and fell 2-1.
Mckenzie Ortega spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on six hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Pinole Valley saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Baleigh Watkins, who went 1-for-3 with one run.
Pinole Valley dropped their record down to 10-7 with the loss, which was their third straight on the road. As for Saint Mary's, their victory bumped their record up to 5-8.
Saint Mary's might still be hurting after the 12-1 defeat they got from Pinole Valley in their previous matchup last Wednesday. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
