Palo Alto hasn't had much luck against Gunn recently, but that could start to change on Monday. Palo Alto will be playing in front of their home fans against Gunn at 4:00 p.m. Palo Alto is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.3 runs per game this season.
While Palo Alto didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-10), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They put the hurt on Monta Vista with a sharp 26-3 victory on Friday. The win continues a trend for the Vikings in their matchups with the Matadors: they've now won three in a row.
Kira Tzeng was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits (and only one walk). That's the fewest hits she has allowed since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played.
Sunday Ahn
| 03/28/25 @ Monta Vista | 3 |
| 04/25/24 vs Lynbrook | 2 |
| 03/12/24 vs Wilcox | 2 |
| 03/26/25 @ Fremont | 1 |
| 03/19/25 @ Santa Clara | 1 |
In other batting news, Sunday Ahn and Kensie Pao did most of the damage at the plate: Ahn scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances, while Pao scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Those three stolen bases gave Ahn a new career-high. Laila Joshi was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Palo Alto always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .705. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Gunn was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They came up short against Los Gatos, falling 11-1. Having soared to a lofty ten runs in the game before, the Titans couldn't push the score so high this time.
Gunn saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Makena Smith, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Palo Alto pushed their record up to 5-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.3 runs over those games. As for Gunn, they now have a losing record of 5-6.
Palo Alto's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's match. Palo Alto has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Gunn, though, as they've been averaging only 0.7 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Palo Alto continue to outrun the ball?
Palo Alto suffered a grim 12-0 defeat to Gunn when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Will Palo Alto have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
