Softball Game Preview: Notre Dame Prep Saints vs. Campo Verde Coyotes

The Notre Dame Prep Saints will venture away from home to square off against the Campo Verde Coyotes at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Notre Dame Prep is coming into the match hot, having won their last eight games.

Notre Dame Prep is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Arizona's top teams: Arizona College Prep, who was ranked tenth at the time (Notre Dame Prep was ranked 16th). The Saints sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 win over the Knights on Thursday. Three seems to be a good number for the Saints as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.

Marley Caldwell

Batters Struck Out

04/24/25 @ Arizona College Prep	7
04/22/25 vs Arizona College Prep	6
04/17/25 @ Casteel	7
04/16/25 vs Sunrise Mountain	10
04/14/25 vs Campo Verde	8
+ 10 more games

Marley Caldwell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 15 consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Sammy Swords, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double.

Meanwhile, in Thursday's Canine Competition, Campo Verde had to take the L. They came up short against Desert Mountain on Thursday, falling 12-2. The loss continues a trend for the Coyotes in their meetings with the Wolves: they've now lost six in a row.

Campo Verde's defeat dropped their record down to 10-17. As for Notre Dame Prep, they pushed their record up to 19-6 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road.

Notre Dame Prep's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's game. The Saints have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Campo Verde, though, as they've been averaging only 0.7 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Notre Dame Prep continue to outrun the ball?

Notre Dame Prep skirted past Campo Verde 11-9 in their previous meeting last Monday. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Saints since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.