Baseball Recap: Highland Turns Things Around After Road Loss

There's no place like home for Highland, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 victory over the Queen Creek Bulldogs on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Hawks have posted since April 30, 2024.

Cayden Hammond

Base on Balls Against

04/03/25 vs Queen Creek	0
03/27/25 @ Williams Field	2
03/21/25 vs Columbine	1
03/17/25 vs Cesar Chavez	1
03/03/25 @ Basha	1
02/27/25 @ Tolleson	2

Cayden Hammond spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Highland's victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Trace McDonald, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double. That double marked the first that McDonald hit this season.

Highland has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 10-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Queen Creek, the defeat snapped their winning streak at four games and leaves them with a 10-4 record.

Looking ahead, Highland will head out on the road to square off against Mountain View at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. The Toros will roll in looking for their seventh straight victory, something the Hawks surely won't give up without a fight. As for Queen Creek, they will venture away from home to take on Gilbert at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday.