Softball Game Preview: Arizona College Prep Knights vs. Notre Dame Prep Saints

For the second straight game, Arizona College Prep will face off against Notre Dame Prep. The Knights will be playing at home against the Saints at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Arizona College Prep 3.6, Notre Dame Prep 2.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Arizona College Prep is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Arizona's top teams: Notre Dame Prep, who was ranked 20th at the time (Arizona College Prep was ranked ninth). The Knights fell 3-0 to the Saints on Tuesday. The matchup marked the first time this year in which the Knights were not able to get on the board.

For Notre Dame Prep's part, the result came thanks to Marley Caldwell's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up six Ks. Caldwell has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 14 consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Daelynn Flowers was incredible, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run. The team also got some help courtesy of Mia Brooks, who went 1-for-2 with one home run.

They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: Notre Dame Prep lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in March.

The victory was the seventh in a row for Notre Dame Prep, bringing their record up to 18-6. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Arizona College Prep, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 21-6 record this season.

Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Arizona College Prep hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1.1 home runs per game. However, it's not like Notre Dame Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1 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.