Preview: Anthem Prep Eagles vs. Antelope Rams
Anthem Prep has enjoyed the comforts of home their last four games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the Antelope Rams at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Anthem Prep knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with flashy run totals in its past five matches -- so hopefully Antelope likes a good challenge.
Anthem Prep stacked a sixth blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Wednesday. They were the clear victor by a 22-0 margin over Maryvale Prep. Anthem Prep's pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last four matchups.
Abby Bashaar was incredible, firing off two home runs and five RBI while going 2-for-3. Jaime Kuzmiak was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, Antelope's good fortune finally ran out on Wednesday. They fell victim to a tough 17-9 defeat at the hands of Yuma.
Karyme Arana and Marissa Jimenez did some serious damage despite the final result: Arana went 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and a double, while Jimenez scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Jimenez has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Alaina Jaime, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Even though they lost, Antelope didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with seven strikeouts. That's the most strikeouts they've managed all season.
Anthem Prep pushed their record up to 6-1 with that win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.0 runs per game. As for Antelope, their loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 6-2.
Antelope's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Anthem Prep has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Antelope, though, as they've been averaging only 3.5 per game. Will Anthem Prep keep running through batters, or will Antelope buck the trend?
Anthem Prep came out on top in a nail-biter against Antelope when the teams last played back in April of 2023, sneaking past 9-8. The rematch might be a little tougher for Anthem Prep since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
