The Xavier College Prep Gators will head out to challenge the Queen Creek Bulldogs at 8:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Xavier College Prep is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand O'Connor a 2-0 shutout. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Gators have posted against the Eagles since March 7, 2022.
Not much got past Sydney Root, who gave up just three hits and racked up eight Ks to keep O'Connor off the board. Root has been consistent: she hasn't given up a single earned run in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Xavier College Prep's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Joie Ramos, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Queen Creek faced Pinnacle in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The Bulldogs had just enough and edged out the Pioneers 2-1. Winning may never get old, but the Bulldogs sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Aubrey Chavez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits.
Xavier College Prep has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 13 of their last 14 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 23-6-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.6 runs over those games. As for Queen Creek, their win was their 12th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 29-6.
Monday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Xavier College Prep has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .475. However, it's not like Queen Creek struggles in that department as they've averaged .453. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Xavier College Prep skirted past Queen Creek 1-0 in their previous meeting last Friday. Will the Gators repeat their success, or do the Bulldogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
