The Madison Highland Prep Heat will head out to challenge the Fountain Hills Falcons at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Fountain Hills took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Madison Highland Prep, who comes in off a win.
Madison Highland Prep will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Thursday, then bounced right back against Highland Prep West on Friday. The Heat put the hurt on the HORNETS with a sharp 11-3 victory. Considering the Heat's hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Anthony Kritikos
| 04/11/25 vs Highland Prep West | 2 |
| 03/26/25 vs Phoenix Christian | 1 |
| 03/24/25 @ Camp Verde | 1 |
| 03/20/25 @ Fountain Hills | 1 |
| 02/28/25 vs Highland Prep | 1 |
Anthony Kritikos made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (two). He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing nine bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 1.5 stolen bases per game.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rhett Clemens, who scored two runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-3. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Nate Garcia, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Madison Highland Prep was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, it was a Battle of the Birds when Fountain Hills challenged Scottsdale Christian Academy on Thursday. The Falcons lost 17-8 to the Eagles. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Falcons have suffered against the Eagles since February 26, 2022.
Eli Johnson was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run was his first of the season. Lucas Grieco was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Madison Highland Prep's record is now 4-8. As for Fountain Hills, their loss dropped their record down to 9-6-1.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Madison Highland Prep hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .352. However, it's not like Fountain Hills struggles in that department as they've averaged .343. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Madison Highland Prep might still be hurting after the 22-0 defeat they got from Fountain Hills in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Heat avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
