Softball Preview: Poston Butte Broncos vs. Eastmark Firebirds
The Poston Butte Broncos will be playing at home against the Eastmark Firebirds at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Poston Butte had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12.5 runs), and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 20-5 victory.
Haylee Lopez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned run off two hits (she also didn't allow any walks). Lopez has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive pitching appearances. Lopez was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and a triple.
In other batting news, Aliyah Madrid was a standout: she went 4-for-4 with three doubles, two runs, and a stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Brylee Litviak, who scored three runs while going 3-for-3.
Meanwhile, Eastmark came tearing into Tuesday's match with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.7 runs) and they left with even more momentum. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Patriots a 16-0 shutout.
Like Poston Butte, Eastmark also got a great game from a two-way player: Tayler McCombs. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (she also didn't allow any walks). McCombs was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two triples, and five RBI.
In other pitching news, Lexi Mendez looked comfortable as she struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk).
Back at the plate, Mya Searcy and Bella Gomez did most of the damage at the plate: Searcy went 3-for-4 with three doubles, two runs, and an RBI, while Gomez scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Sami Parisi, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Poston Butte's win bumped their record up to 15-6. As for Eastmark, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 15 of their last 16 games, which provided a nice bump to their 19-3 record this season.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Poston Butte has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 12.7 hits per game. However, it's not like Eastmark struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.2. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Poston Butte might still be hurting after the 16-1 loss they got from Eastmark in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Can Poston Butte avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
