Softball Preview: Willow Canyon Wildcats vs. Ironwood Eagles
The Willow Canyon Wildcats will look to defend their home field on Wednesday against the Ironwood Eagles at 3:45 p.m. Willow Canyon knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy run totals in its past six contests -- so hopefully Ironwood likes a good challenge.
Willow Canyon stacked an 11th blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Paradise Valley a 14-0 shutout.
Mykah Herrera looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched.
At the plate, Rylee Turlington was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and a triple. The team also got some help courtesy of Harmony Andrade, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, Ironwood came up short against Apollo on Tuesday and fell 13-9.
Kassandra Uriarte spent all seven innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and 11 unearned) runs on ten hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Addison Monahan and Madelaine Gober did some serious damage despite the final result: Monahan went 3-for-3 with a triple, two RBI, and a run, while Gober scored three runs while going 3-for-4. Ariana Norris was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Willow Canyon's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-7. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs per game. As for Ironwood, their loss dropped their record down to 7-9.
Wednesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Willow Canyon has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .447. However, it's not like Ironwood struggles in that department as they've averaged .466. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Willow Canyon's way against Ironwood in their previous matchup back in April of 2023 as Willow Canyon made off with a 22-0 win. Will Willow Canyon repeat their success, or does Ironwood have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
