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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.

Mathews, 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 reemerged 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 has 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 of the 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 on Saturday. “(The Trinity) is going to be a really tough league.”

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