The Menlo-Atherton Bears will head out on the road to square off against the Notre Dame Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Menlo-Atherton has given up an average of 7 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Menlo-Atherton is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Mills just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They came up short against the Vikings, falling 14-3.
Menlo-Atherton saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Emma Loose, who went 2-for-3 with two runs.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame won against Terra Nova on Wednesday with 11 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Friday. Everything went the Tigers' way against Sequoia as they made off with an 11-1 victory. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 games by six runs or more this season.
Allison Lui and Caroline Zerella were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Lui didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Zerella pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Lui has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances. At bat, Lui went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Zerella went 1-for-2 with two runs.
In other batting news, Hailey Truong and Skylar Loo did most of the damage at the plate: Truong went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double, while Loo got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and one double. Eliana Crespin was another key player, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with three runs.
Notre Dame always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .548. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Sequoia only posted an OBP of .118.
Notre Dame is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-4-1 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games. As for Menlo-Atherton, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-7.
Monday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Menlo-Atherton hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .352. However, it's not like Notre Dame struggles in that department as they've averaged .366. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Menlo-Atherton suffered a grim 13-1 defeat to Notre Dame in their previous meeting back in April. Can the Bears avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
