Softball Preview: Gilbert Christian Knights vs. American Leadership Academy - Ironwood Warriors
Gilbert Christian is 0-7 against American Leadership Academy - Ironwood since March of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Gilbert Christian Knights will look to defend their home field against the American Leadership Academy - Ironwood Warriors at 6:00 p.m. After both teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Monday.
On Friday, Gilbert Christian never let their opponents score. They blew past American Leadership Academy - Anthem South 20-0.
Meredith Whitehurst made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out ten over four innings pitched. Whitehurst was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Gilbert Christian got a massive performance out of Addie Howell, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Maddy Harmon, who scored three runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, American Leadership Academy - Ironwood gave their fans yet another huge win on Friday. They put the hurt on Florence with a sharp 12-0 victory. The win was nothing new for American Leadership Academy - Ironwood as they're now sitting on three straight.
Like Gilbert Christian, American Leadership Academy - Ironwood also got a great game from a two-way player: Shawnacy Serrano. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over six innings pitched. Serrano has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. Serrano was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-3 with a home run, three runs, and three RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kayleigh Blackstock, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBI. Emma Gonzales was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Gilbert Christian's victory bumped their record up to 6-10. As for American Leadership Academy - Ironwood, they have been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 8-8 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Gilbert Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like American Leadership Academy - Ironwood struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Gilbert Christian suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to American Leadership Academy - Ironwood in their previous meeting back in March. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Serrano, who didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Now that Gilbert Christian knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
