The Desert Vista Thunder will take on the Casteel Colts at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Casteel will be up against a hot Desert Vista team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. Desert Vista was the clear victor by an 11-4 margin over Cibola on Friday. The result was nothing new for the Thunder, who have now won 12 games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Madyson Purdy made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off seven hits. Purdy was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Mckenzie Leitgen was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Jessa Ramirez was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run.
Desert Vista kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. They got six more hits than Cibola's also-impressive total of 11.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Casteel, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Wednesday. They blew past Mesa 13-2 last Thursday. The win was some much needed relief for the Colts as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Like Desert Vista, Casteel also got a great game from a two-way player: Kaedyn Carillo. On the mound, Carillo tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, KJ Tipton struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Those zero hits allowed gave her a new career-low. At bat, Carillo scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2, while Tipton got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one triple and one run. That's the most runs Carillo has posted over her last ten matchups.
In other batting news, Casteel got a massive performance out of Lauren Fullton, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. What's more, Fullton posted two RBI, the most she's had over her last 12 contests. Another player making a difference was Winter Melendez, who went 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Casteel's victory bumped their record up to 6-10. As for Desert Vista, their win was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-2.
Casteel's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Desert Vista has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .609. It's a different story for Casteel, though, as they've only averaged .365. Will they be able to contain Desert Vista's hitters?
Desert Vista was able to grind out a solid victory over Casteel when the teams last played back in February, winning 8-4. Does Desert Vista have another victory up their sleeve, or will Casteel turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
