Softball Game Preview: Coconino Panthers vs. Mingus Marauders

The Coconino Panthers will challenge the Mingus Marauders at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Coconino sitting on 18 straight victories and Mingus on three.

Coconino barely beat Flagstaff the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Panthers blew past the Eagles 17-5 on Wednesday. Considering the Panthers have won 19 contests by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.

Meanwhile, Mingus earned an 11-6 win over Prescott on Wednesday. With that victory, the Marauders brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.

Rory Murphy spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and two unearned) runs on 11 hits and racked up six Ks.

On the hitting side, Julia Meyer was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, three doubles, and one stolen base. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Daizy Mejia, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.

Coconino's win was their ninth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 23-4. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. As for Mingus, their win bumped their record up to 7-11.

Coconino took their victory against Mingus in their previous meeting on April 3rd by a conclusive 11-1 score. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Marauders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.