vs
| 05/07/25 - Home | 4-3 W |
| 05/09/24 - Home | 3-5 L |
| 05/01/24 - Away | 3-7 L |
| 05/26/23 - Neutral | 4-3 W |
| 05/09/23 - Home | 3-0 W |
| + 5 more games |
Otay Ranch and Mater Dei Catholic are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2021, but likely not for long. The Mustangs will head out on the road to challenge the Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Otay Ranch's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Mater Dei Catholic's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Otay Ranch barely beat Eastlake the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Mustangs were the clear victors by a 9-2 margin over the Titans on Wednesday. The victory continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Titans: they've now won three in a row.
Zoey Gonzales made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Otay Ranch got a great performance from Scarlett Martinez as she tossed five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Ariele Torres, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with five RBI and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Kaylin Phillips, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run.
Otay Ranch was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .393. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Eastlake only posted a batting average of .231.
Meanwhile, Mater Dei Catholic came up short against Bonita Vista on Wednesday and fell 4-1. The Crusaders have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Mater Dei Catholic saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Maya Matthies, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
Otay Ranch's record now sits at 13-10-1. As for Mater Dei Catholic, their loss dropped their record down to 20-7.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Otay Ranch hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .314. However, it's not like Mater Dei Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .344. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Otay Ranch came out on top in a nail-biter against Mater Dei Catholic in their previous matchup last Wednesday, sneaking past 4-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
