The Phoenix Country Day Eagles will face off against the Chandler Prep Titans at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Phoenix Country Day didn't have quite enough to beat Camp Verde and fell 5-4.
Reed Ross was huge no matter where he played even without the win. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Ross was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
Ross wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Ronnie Ross, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. Phillip Kaplan also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Meanwhile, Chandler Prep put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They put the hurt on Willcox with a sharp 14-1 victory. Fans of the Titans have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
Like Phoenix Country Day, Chandler Prep also got a great game from a two-way player: Dominic Steineke. He struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Steineke was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Emet Yates, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, six RBI, and three runs. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Derek Tucker was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing Two bases. while going 2-for-3.
Chandler Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Willcox only posted an OBP of .250.
Phoenix Country Day's loss dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Chandler Prep, their win bumped their record up to 4-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Phoenix Country Day has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Chandler Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Phoenix Country Day beat Chandler Prep 3-0 when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Will Phoenix Country Day repeat their success, or does Chandler Prep have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
