Softball Game Preview: Highlands Ranch Falcons vs. Ponderosa Mustangs

Highlands Ranch is 1-9 against Ponderosa since September of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Falcons will welcome the Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. Highlands Ranch has given up an average of 11.8 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Highlands Ranch couldn't beat Heritage on Wednesday even though they stacked four runs on them in the first inning. The Falcons lost 16-7 to the Eagles. While the Falcons didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Eagles 4-0 in the first period.

Cricket Keppel was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. Bridget Nittler was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one run.

Meanwhile, Ponderosa hadn't done well against Legend recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Mustangs skirted past the Titans 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Mustangs have posted since September 5th.

Ponderosa saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Campbell Trombley, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run. Those two stolen bases gave Trombley a new career-high.

Ponderosa pushed their record up to 9-12 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Highlands Ranch, their loss dropped their record down to 1-17.

Highlands Ranch suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Ponderosa when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Will the Falcons 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.