The Pioneer Mustangs will square off against the Evergreen Valley Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Pioneer is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.
Pioneer easily dispatched Del Mar on Wednesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. Pioneer fell just short of Lincoln by a score of 6-4 on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Mustangs have suffered since March 28, 2024.
Olivia Krump
| 03/28/25 @ Lincoln | 2 |
| 03/19/25 @ Prospect | 1 |
| 03/03/25 vs Gunderson | 1 |
| 02/28/25 vs Half Moon Bay | 1 |
| 04/23/24 @ Oak Grove | 1 |
Olivia Krump was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Those two hits gave her a new career-high. Maya Salles-Cunha also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Even though they lost, Pioneer hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Evergreen Valley, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. Everything went their way against James Lick on Friday as Evergreen Valley made off with a 12-2 win.
Mackenzie Brongiel made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 17 over six innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Daven Woodham was a standout: she scored three runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-3. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged two or more in each of the last three games she's played. Ariella Solorio was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3.
Evergreen Valley's victory bumped their record up to 2-6. As for Pioneer, their loss was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 3-7.
Evergreen Valley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Pioneer hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .335. It's a different story for Evergreen Valley, though, as they've only averaged .255. Will they be able to contain Pioneer's hitters?
Pioneer skirted past Evergreen Valley 6-5 when the teams last played back in May of 2021. Does Pioneer have another victory up their sleeve, or will Evergreen Valley turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
