Preview: Higley Knights vs. Mountain Pointe Pride
The Higley Knights will head out on the road to take on the Mountain Pointe Pride at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Higley is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
It may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but Higley ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 victory over Horizon.
Kyndal Williams spent all nine innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up 15 Ks. Those 15 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
On the hitting side, Jordyn Hoopes was excellent, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Wednesday just wasn't the day for Mountain Pointe's offense. They fell just short of Desert Mountain by a score of 2-0 on Wednesday. Mountain Pointe's defeat continues an unfortunate trend for the squad, making it four in a row.
Mountain Pointe also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Lauryn Chavez gave up only one earned (and one unearned) run on six hits and racked up eight Ks. Chavez has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive pitching appearances.
Higley's win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-4. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs per game. As for Mountain Pointe, they now have a losing record at 5-6.
Mountain Pointe's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Higley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .498. It's a different story for Mountain Pointe, though, as they've only averaged .362. Will they be able to contain Higley's hitters?
Higley took their victory against Mountain Pointe when the teams last played back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 13-7. Does Higley have another victory up their sleeve, or will Mountain Pointe turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
