The Xavier College Prep Gators will face off against the Queen Creek Bulldogs on Friday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Xavier College Prep sitting on 11 straight wins and Queen Creek on 17.
Xavier College Prep is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They skirted past Tucson High Magnet School 3-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Gators have posted since May 13, 2024.
Angie Falls spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up 16 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in 19 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Xavier College Prep saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Riley McKeever, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
Meanwhile, Queen Creek faced Desert Vista in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. The Bulldogs walked away with a 7-2 win over the Thunder.
Queen Creek also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Aubrey Chavez gave up just two earned runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Emma Reynolds, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Gabby Ayala, who went 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI.
Xavier College Prep pushed their record up to 21-5-4 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Queen Creek, their record is now 26-5.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Xavier College Prep has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .486. However, it's not like Queen Creek struggles in that department as they've averaged .460. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
