Softball Game Preview: Mayer Wildcats vs. Highland Prep West HORNETS

The Mayer Wildcats will square off against the Highland Prep West HORNETS at 1:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Mayer will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Wednesday, then bounced right back against Maryvale Prep on Thursday. Mayer was the clear victor by an 18-9 margin over Maryvale Prep. Considering the Wildcats have won four contests by more than eight runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.

Highland Prep West never got on the board in their matchup on Tuesday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Mountainside last Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 25-15 margin over the Wolves. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the HORNETS' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.

Aliya Mallinger was incredible, firing off four runs, four doubles, and four RBI while going 5-for-5. The team also got some help courtesy of Bianca Vega, who scored three runs and stole five bases while going 3-for-4.

Mallinger wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Highland Prep West kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 22 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

Mayer is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. Highland Prep West's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 2-5.