Softball Recap: Empire Continues Home Dominance on Wednesday

Ravens

Margin (Wins)

04/03/25 @ Catalina	20
04/04/25 @ Ironwood Ridge	18
04/23/25 vs Thatcher	15
03/24/25 @ Florence	15
03/12/25 vs Mountain View	15

After only one run in their last contest, Empire made sure to put some runs up on the board against Thatcher on Wednesday. The Ravens were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over the Eagles. The Ravens might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 17 matches by six runs or more this season.

Darby Smalligan looked comfortable as she pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run in eight consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Abby Zsitvay, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Angelina Dehler, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.

Empire always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .560. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Thatcher only posted an OBP of .071.

Empire's win was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 23-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.6 runs over those games. As for Thatcher, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost seven of their last nine games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 11-14 record this season.

Empire didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next contest, a 12-7 win against Sahuarita on the 24th. As for Thatcher, they will challenge Safford at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.