We've got a battle between Broncos coming up. San Juan is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.
San Juan's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They put the hurt on East Mountain with a sharp 21-0 victory. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Broncos considering their one-run performance the game before.
Khatira Keith was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single hit in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two).
Averie Gilson
| 03/20/25 vs East Mountain | 3 |
| 05/04/24 vs Milford | 1 |
| 04/29/24 @ Lehi | 1 |
| 04/29/24 @ Bingham | 1 |
| 04/29/24 vs Granger | 1 |
In other batting news, Averie Gilson was a standout: she scored two runs and stole Three bases. while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in stolen bases. Another player making a difference was Keegan Palmer, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
San Juan always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .727. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Kirtland Central faced Piedra Vista in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. Kirtland Central fell just short of Piedra Vista by a score of 6-5. The Broncos haven't had much luck with the Panthers recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.
Isabella Hurtado made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI. That hit was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Tamirra Chee, who scored two runs while going 3-for-3.
Kirtland Central's defeat dropped their record down to 2-4. As for San Juan, they moved to 3-4 with that win, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. San Juan has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Kirtland Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
San Juan took their victory against Kirtland Central in their previous meeting back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 22-7. Will San Juan repeat their success, or does Kirtland Central have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
