Softball Game Preview: Empire Ravens vs. Yuma Catholic Shamrocks

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Previous 3 Games

05/09/23 - Home	9-1 W
03/23/23 - Neutral	15-0 W
05/09/17 - Neutral	10-2 W

Empire is a perfect 3-0 against Yuma Catholic since May of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Ravens will face off against the Shamrocks at 4:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Empire comes in on five and Yuma Catholic on 11.

Empire is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They won by a run and slipped past Tanque Verde 1-0. Give the Ravens' pitching crew some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.

Meanwhile, Yuma Catholic made easy work of Show Low on Friday and carried off a 9-2 victory. The Shamrocks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 17 games by six runs or more this season.

Cherish Trujillo spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on three hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Kodi Leigh was a standout: she got on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Faith Donley, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.

Yuma Catholic hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in six consecutive matches.

Empire's record now sits at 27-1. As for Yuma Catholic, their record is now 25-4.

Everything went Empire's way against Yuma Catholic when the teams last played back in May of 2023, as Empire made off with a 9-1 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Ravens since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.