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FOUNTAIN VALLEY — If there’s an early theme to the Orange County softball season, it might be parity.
Lower ranked teams have defeated lofty rivals in the O.C. Top 25 to prompt excitement that wide-spread competitiveness exists.
Fullerton fueled the concept Friday by defeating No. 4 Mater Dei 4-0 behind a breakout performance by pitcher Katelynn Mathews at Fountain Valley Sports Park.
Fullerton’s Malaya Majam-Finch, left, high fives catcher Abby Lee after Fullerton won their nonleague softball game against Mater Dei in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. Majam-Finch relieved starting pitcher Katelynn Mathews. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei’s Mikayla Macisaac misses the ball for a strike against Fullerton in a nonleague softball game in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei’s Audrey Eyler, right, tosses the ball to Ella McCloskey for the force out against Fullerton in a nonleague softball game in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei’s Aly Carrillo, right, takes the throw from the catch as she tries to pick off Fullerton’s Olivia Wilder at third in a nonleague softball game in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei starting pitcher Sienna Acosta delivers a pitch against Fullerton in a nonleague softball game in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei’s Ella McCloskey lets a grounder get through for an error against Fullerton in a nonleague softball game in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton’s Ava Flores, right, fields a grounder by Mater Dei in a nonleague softball game in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton’s Olivia Wilder, right, scores ahead of the throw to Mater Dei catcher Miraya Gonzales in a nonleague softball game in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton’s Ava Flores lays down a bunt against Mater Dei in a nonleague softball game in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton’s Naia Su’e reaches to catch a foul pop-up by Mater Dei in a nonleague softball game in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton’s Analise Barrios, center, gets a high five from Hayley Brock after scoring a run along with Emma Thorson, right, against Mater Dei in a nonleague softball game in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei’s Isabella Ruby fouls off a pitch by Fullerton in a nonleague softball game in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton’s Analise Barrios rounds second to take third against Mater Dei in a nonleague softball game in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Show Caption1 of 13Fullerton’s Malaya Majam-Finch, left, high fives catcher Abby Lee after Fullerton won their nonleague softball game against Mater Dei in Fountain Valley on Friday, March 21, 2025. Majam-Finch relieved starting pitcher Katelynn Mathews. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
ExpandMathews, a sophomore, allowed three hits and struck out eight in six shutout innings to lead the No. 11 Indians (8-4) to their biggest win of the young season.
“Very big win for our program,” fourth-year Fullerton coach Trevor Holton said. “We have come a long way in three years. The kids are really buying in and laying the foundation.”
Fullerton re-emerged on the county softball landscape in 2023 with the arrival of touted freshman Malaya Majam-Finch. She led the Indians to a CIF SoCal Regional Division III title that season and as since committed to four-time defending NCAA champion Oklahoma.
But in another nod to parity, it was Mathews who dominated Mater Dei (7-6-1), which earlier this month reached the semifinals at Dave Kops Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, Ariz.
The Monarchs’ hits off Mathews came on an infield single, bunt single and a flare that narrowly escaped second baseman Analise Barrios. The Trinity League squad went 0 for 6 against Mathews with runners in scoring position.
“She spun it really well,” Mater Dei coach Nicole Thomas said of Mathews. “She hit both in and out, and up. As much as we had a plan, her stuff was good. … Our players are strong. It’s hard to get our hitters off balance.”
Mathews said she leaned on her curveball, riseball, screwball and backdoor curve in her battery with catcher Abby Lee.
“I did well hitting my spots,” said Mathews, who was replaced by Majam-Finch for the seventh inning. “And when I was ahead of the count, (I) shut the batters down. … I’ve improved hitting my spots a lot.”
Holton held Mathews in high regard as a freshman but believes she has raised her level.
“She is all-business,” he said. “Never gets too up, never gets too down. (She) buckles down even more in pressure situations.”
“(She’s) not an unknown any more,” the coach added.
Fullerton supported Mathews by scoring four runs — two unearned — off Penn commit Sienna Acosta.
No. 9 batter Kaylyn Yi, a freshman center fielder, laced an opposite-field double to left with one out in the third inning and scored on a groundout by Andrea Montes De Oca.
In the fourth inning, Yi drove in two runs with a two-out double to right.
Yi and leadoff batter Hayley Brock (Utah Valley) each went 2 for 3 for Fullerton.
Barrios capped the scoring with a two-out RBI single in the fifth.
“We want to win the (Empire) League and advance as far as we can in the playoffs,” Holton said. “We’re going to keep grinding.”
Mater Dei dropped its second straight game but had Thomas back on the field after she served a one-game suspension for her ejection in the third-place game in Bullhead City.
Speedy No. 9 batter Mikayla Macisaac had two of the Monarchs’ three hits.
“Once the girls gain confidence back and play the way we’ve all seen, we’ll be good,” said Thomas, whose team begins the Dugard Classic in Saturday. “(The Trinity) is going to be a really tough league.”
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