After both having extra time off, the Camelback Spartans and the Dobson Mustangs will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field one another at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Camelback has given up an average of 16.8 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.
Camelback took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Thursday. They came out on top against Carl Hayden Community by a score of 17-13. The high-scoring effort was just what the Spartans needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.
Zitlalit Perez Corrales made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out eight batters over 4.1 innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off only one hit. Perez Corrales was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and two doubles.
In other batting news, Camelback got a big performance out of Emily 'Lotus' Bautista, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Samay Ramos also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Camelback always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .625. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Dobson). Everything went their way against Apollo last Thursday as Dobson made off with a 16-6 victory.
Like Camelback, Dobson also got a great game from a two-way player: Allie Hanson. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off three hits (and only one walk). Hanson was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kiley Beard, who went 1-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. Shaylee Peshlakai was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Dobson's record now sits at 2-4. As for Camelback, they moved to 1-4 with that win, which also ended their four-game losing streak.
Camelback suffered a grim 16-1 defeat to Dobson when the teams last played back in April of 2015. Can Camelback avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
