Pinnacle and O'Connor are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2019, but likely not for long. Pinnacle will be playing in front of their home fans against O'Connor at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Pinnacle is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.6 runs per game this season.
Pinnacle will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Friday, then bounced right back against Higley on Monday. Pinnacle put the hurt on Higley with a sharp 24-5 win. The Pioneers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Paige Kroening was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those zero hits allowed gave her a new career-low. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
Payton Crank
| 03/31/25 @ Higley | 6 |
| 03/19/25 vs Valley Vista | 4 |
| 05/08/24 @ Xavier College Prep | 4 |
| 04/11/24 vs Liberty | 4 |
| 05/03/24 @ Queen Creek | 3 |
In other batting news, Pinnacle got a massive performance out of Payton Crank, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with one home run, five runs, and six RBI. Those six RBI gave Crank a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Sienna Caro, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs.
Pinnacle always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .643. They are 3-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, O'Connor faced Xavier College Prep in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. O'Connor came out on top in a nail-biter against Xavier College Prep, sneaking past 5-4. The victory was nothing new for the Eagles as they're now sitting on five straight.
Rachel Davis spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Charleigh Schuettler was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with six RBI and one triple. The team also got some help courtesy of Raegan Holtorf, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
O'Connor's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-5. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Pinnacle, they now have a winning record of 6-5-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. Pinnacle hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.9 home runs per game. However, it's not like O'Connor struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
