Softball Game Preview: Verrado Vipers vs. Canyon View Jaguars

Verrado hasn't had much luck against Canyon View recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Vipers will look to defend their home field against the Jaguars at 6:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Verrado 2.6, Canyon View 1.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Verrado is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Arizona's top teams: Canyon View, who was ranked 16th at the time (Verrado was ranked 11th). The Vipers took a 4-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Jaguars on Tuesday. Having soared to a lofty 16 runs in the game before, the Vipers couldn't push the score so high this time.

For Canyon View's part, Emily Davis spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up 11 Ks. Davis has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Rylen Buchberger was excellent, scoring two runs while going 4-for-4. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooke Downs, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI.

Canyon View was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. They are a perfect 16-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.

Canyon View pushed their record up to 20-4 with the victory, which was their 19th straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.2 runs over those games. As for Verrado, their defeat was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 6-1 and their overall record down to 17-2.

Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Verrado hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.8 home runs per game. However, it's not like Canyon View struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.6 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.