The Bellarmine College Prep Bells will venture away from home to square off against the Hollister Haybalers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Bellarmine College Prep's pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so Hollister's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Bellarmine College Prep's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed last Wednesday. They came out on top against Palma by a score of 5-0.
Christian Duarte
| 04/16/25 vs Palma | 7 |
| 04/08/25 vs Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory | 2 |
| 04/01/25 vs Saint Francis | 2 |
| 03/25/25 @ Valley Christian | 4 |
| 03/18/25 vs Junipero Serra | 2 |
| + 4 more games |
Bellarmine College Prep got a great performance from Christian Duarte as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts Duarte has posted since back in May of 2024.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Evan Tavarez, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. Sam Mendoza also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Hollister waltzed into their game on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They walked away with a 4-0 victory over the Aztecs. That's two games straight that the Haybalers have won by exactly four runs.
Trent Roach was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 16 over six innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Roach wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Daniel Martinez, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI. Another was Gavin Rodriguez, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run.
Hollister hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Soledad struck out 16 times.
Bellarmine College Prep is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 11-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Hollister, their record now sits at 12-7.
Bellarmine College Prep skirted past Hollister 8-7 when the teams last played back in May of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bells since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
