The Pinole Valley Spartans will face off against the Terra Linda Trojans at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Pinole Valley has three straight victories, Terra Linda has 13 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Last Friday, Pinole Valley made easy work of De Anza and carried off a 17-1 win. Considering the Spartans have won ten matchups by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Mckenzie Ortega
| 05/02/25 vs De Anza | 11 |
| 04/30/25 @ St. Patrick-St. Vincent | 7 |
| 04/28/25 @ Saint Mary's | 10 |
| 04/25/25 @ Tamalpais | 8 |
| 04/22/25 vs El Cerrito | 10 |
| + 15 more games |
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 11 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one triple. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ayla Serrano, who went 3-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Mariah Davidson, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one double.
Pinole Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .538. They are a perfect 9-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Terra Linda lost 18-1 to Redwood on Wednesday.
Pinole Valley pushed their record up to 13-7 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Terra Linda, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-13.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Pinole Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .450. However, it's not like Terra Linda struggles in that department as they've averaged .457. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pinole Valley took their victory against Terra Linda when the teams last played back in May of 2016 by a conclusive 11-0 score. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Trojans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
