The St. Mary's Rams will face off against the Kimball Jaguars at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. St. Mary's will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.
St. Mary's is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They came out on top against West by a score of 13-10 on Wednesday.
Ava Arucan
| 04/09/25 vs West | 1 |
| 04/08/25 @ West | 2 |
| 04/05/25 vs Sonora | 2 |
| 04/05/25 vs Lincoln | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Monterey Trail | 0 |
| + 4 more games |
Ava Arucan was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up six earned (and four unearned) runs off 13 hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in February.
In other batting news, St. Mary's got a massive performance out of Matea Muraoka, who went 4-for-5 with one home run, six RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI Muraoka has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Aliana Basto, who scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
St. Mary's always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .564. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
The home team had come away the winner the last five times Kimball and Lincoln had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Jaguars walked away with a 10-6 victory over the Trojans on Tuesday. The Jaguars haven't had any issues with the Trojans recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Alexa Contreras made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched seven innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. Contreras was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Kaeliana DePerio and Iolana Faasisila did most of the damage at the plate: DePerio scored two runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4, while Faasisila went 1-for-2 with three runs, one triple, and one RBI. Karaliya DePerio was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Kimball pushed their record up to 11-4 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.2 runs over those games. As for St. Mary's, their victory bumped their record up to 4-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. St. Mary's has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Kimball struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
St. Mary's couldn't quite get it done against Kimball in their previous matchup back in March as they fell 7-4. Will the Rams have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
