Bruins
| 04/01/25 @ Lynbrook | 5 |
| 03/29/25 @ Aptos | 5 |
| 03/27/25 @ Cupertino | 7 |
| 03/22/25 vs Del Mar | 13 |
| 03/20/25 vs Saratoga | 12 |
| + 8 more games |
Santa Clara and Monta Vista are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2018, but likely not for long. The Bruins will host the Matadors at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Santa Clara is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9 runs per game this season.
Santa Clara's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They came out on top against Lynbrook by a score of 5-0. The Bruins haven't had any issues with the Vikings recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.
Zach Gallegos was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single hit in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one triple and two RBI.
In other batting news, Jaxton Chao was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged two or more in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was John Kepner, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Monta Vista hadn't done well against Saratoga recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Matadors sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over the Falcons. While the Matadors didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-19), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Joseph Murai spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on four hits.
On the hitting side, Monta Vista's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Aiden Huang, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base and one RBI. Mikey Owings was another, scoring a run and stealing two bases.
Monta Vista is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven games. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.9 runs on average over those games. As for Santa Clara, their victory bumped their record up to 10-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Santa Clara has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Monta Vista struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Santa Clara took their win against Monta Vista in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 11-4 score. Do the Bruins have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Matadors turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
