The Mountain Pointe Pride will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on the Chaparral Firebirds at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
While Mountain Pointe didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They blew past Ironwood 13-5 on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Pride, who have now won four matches by eight runs or more so far this season.
Lauryn Chavez
| 03/04/25 @ Ironwood | 8 |
| 03/01/25 vs Mountain View | 2 |
| 03/01/25 @ Westwood | 7 |
| 02/28/25 vs Skyline | 6 |
| 02/28/25 vs Williams Field | 6 |
| + 2 more games |
Lauryn Chavez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off eight hits (and not a single walk). With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.1 strikeouts per game. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on JoJo Castillo, who went 4-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. That double was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Sophia Venegas, who scored two runs while going 2-for-5.
Mountain Pointe was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .475. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ironwood only posted a batting average of .323.
Meanwhile, Chaparral was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their eighth straight defeat dating back to last season. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 15-14 heartbreaker at the hands of Willow Canyon. One positive for the Firebirds, at least, is that this was the most points they've scored all season.
Kaelyn Moffitt stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she scored two runs while going 3-for-6. Bria Belden was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-6.
Mountain Pointe's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-1-1. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Chaparral, their loss dropped their record down to 0-6.
Chaparral's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Mountain Pointe has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.3 hits per game. It's a different story for Chaparral, though, as they've been averaging 10.2 hits. Given Mountain Pointe's sizable advantage in that area, Chaparral will need to find a way to close that gap.
Mountain Pointe suffered a grim 13-3 defeat to Chaparral when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will Mountain Pointe have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
