The Coconino Panthers will challenge the Marcos de Niza Padres at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Coconino comes in on 12 and Marcos de Niza on ten.
Coconino's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They put the hurt on Poston Butte with a sharp 6-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won 14 games by six runs or more so far this season.
The result came thanks to Kaitlyn Tso's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up 14 Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 19 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Destiny Villas, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Cassidey Castillo, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Marcos de Niza). They were the clear victors by a 19-3 margin over Moon Valley on Friday. The Padres are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the fifth contest they've won by 6+ runs this season.
Leila Rodriguez was a major factor no matter where she played. She pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Rodriguez was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple.
In other batting news, Alaina Tavena was incredible, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Mia Valenzuela also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Coconino's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Marcos de Niza, their record now sits at 10-0.
Monday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Coconino hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .364. However, it's not like Marcos de Niza struggles in that department as they've averaged .402. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Coconino took their win against Marcos de Niza when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
