The Mark Keppel Aztecs will head out on the road to square off against the El Rancho Dons at 3:15 p.m. on Friday. Mark Keppel's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so El Rancho's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Mark Keppel came out on top against San Gabriel last Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive nine-run second inning. The Aztecs blew past the Matadors 14-0. The Aztecs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by seven runs or more this season.
Robyn Guitron made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Avigail Navarro was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Nevaeh Saldivar, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
Mark Keppel was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .382. They are a perfect 9-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, El Rancho came up short against La Serna on Thursday and fell 8-4.
El Rancho saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Melony Ramirez, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Jaelene Carrillo was another, going 1-for-3 with one triple and one RBI.
Mark Keppel's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-4. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for El Rancho, their loss dropped their record down to 12-8-1.
El Rancho's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Mark Keppel has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for El Rancho, though, as they've been averaging only 3.9 strikeouts. Will Mark Keppel keep running through batters, or will the Dons buck the trend?
Mark Keppel took their victory against El Rancho in their previous matchup back in February of 2024 by a conclusive 11-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Aztecs since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
