Softball Recap: Make It Six in a Row for Castro Valley

Castro Valley waltzed into their matchup on Friday with five straight wins... but they left with six. They were the clear victors by a 12-6 margin over the Encinal Jets. That's the second time they've managed to beat them this season, as they also won 10-0 back in March.

Alanys Robertson was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.2 strikeouts per game. She was even better at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alicya Robertson, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Giselle De Casas, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.

Castro Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 12 hits in six consecutive games.

Castro Valley's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-3. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Encinal, their loss dropped their record down to 7-13.

Looking ahead, Castro Valley will challenge Alameda at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Trojans 2.3, the Hornets 3.1) so any runs scored will be well earned. As for Encinal, they will take on Cardinal Newman at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Jets' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Cardinals have averaged an impressive 6.8 runs per game this season.