The Albany Cougars will head out to take on the Pinole Valley Spartans at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Albany barely beat Saint Mary's the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Albany was the clear victors by an 11-5 margin over Saint Mary's on Wednesday. The win continues a trend for the Cougars in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won eight in a row.
The team relied heavily on Samirah Bowie, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double. Annalise Winkle also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, while Pinole Valley put up some runs on Wednesday, the same can't be said for De Anza. Pinole Valley blew past De Anza 10-0. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Spartans.
Mckenzie Ortega was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 15 over six innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
In other batting news, Ayla Serrano was incredible, scoring a run and stealing Two bases. while going 1-for-3. Gabriella Ornelas was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Pinole Valley's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-1. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Albany, they picked up their first home win, bumping their record up to 3-4.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Albany hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .318. However, it's not like Pinole Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .383. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Albany might still be hurting after the 8-2 defeat they got from Pinole Valley in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Can Albany avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
