Softball Game Preview: Mountain Ridge Mountain Lions vs. O'Connor Eagles

Mountain Lions

Runs

04/22/25 vs Pinnacle	3
04/17/25 @ Boulder Creek	2
04/16/25 vs Queen Creek	4
04/10/25 @ Liberty	2
04/09/25 vs Shadow Ridge	3
+ 17 more games

Mountain Ridge is 1-9 against O'Connor since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Mountain Lions will host the Eagles at 3:45 p.m. Mountain Ridge is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.

Mountain Ridge is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Arizona's top teams: Pinnacle, who was ranked 12th at the time (Mountain Ridge was ranked 19th). The Mountain Lions lost 12-3 to the Pioneers on Tuesday. The Mountain Lions' defeat continues a trend for the squad, making it three in a row.

Mountain Ridge saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Daisy Herrera, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI.

Meanwhile, O'Connor was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 6-5 heartbreaker at the hands of Desert Vista.

Raegan Holtorf made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Another player making a difference was Avery Gourlay, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.

Mountain Ridge's defeat dropped their record down to 14-8. As for O'Connor, their loss dropped their record down to 17-10.

Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Mountain Ridge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. However, it's not like O'Connor struggles in that department as they've averaged .363. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Mountain Ridge suffered a grim 14-1 defeat to O'Connor in their previous meeting on April 8th. Will the Mountain Lions have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.