The Maria Carrillo Pumas will head out to challenge the Petaluma Trojans at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Maria Carrillo comes in on three and Petaluma on four.
Maria Carrillo barely beat San Rafael the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Maria Carrillo put the hurt on San Rafael with a sharp 15-5 victory on Thursday.
Paige Richards
| 03/06/25 @ San Rafael | 8 |
| 03/03/25 @ Sonoma Valley | 2 |
| 02/28/25 @ St. Helena | 4 |
| 05/17/24 vs Kennedy | 2 |
| 05/14/24 vs Pinole Valley | 5 |
| + 18 more games |
Paige Richards made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in February of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 4-for-4.
In other batting news, Erin Kelleher was incredible, going 4-for-5 with five RBI, three runs, and three doubles. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Alivia Vetter was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing Two bases. while going 3-for-4.
Maria Carrillo always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .513. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as San Rafael only posted an OBP of .370.
While Petaluma didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They had just enough and edged out San Marin 3-1. That's two games straight that the Trojans have won by exactly two runs.
Lily Pardini spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Petaluma saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Taylor Pellonari, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Maria Carrillo's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 3-0. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Petaluma, their record is now 4-1.
Maria Carrillo's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's match. Maria Carrillo has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Petaluma, though, as they've been averaging only 0.4 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Maria Carrillo continue to outrun the ball?
Maria Carrillo came out on top in a nail-biter against Petaluma when the teams last played back in March of 2024, sneaking past 7-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for Maria Carrillo since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
