The Mesa Grande Academy Cardinals are taking a road trip to take on the Bethel Christian Kings at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Mesa Grande Academy knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past three matchups -- so hopefully Bethel Christian likes a good challenge.
Last Tuesday, Mesa Grande Academy got the win against Desert Chapel by a conclusive 23-5. The contest marked the Cardinals' most dominant victory of the season so far.
Melody Bender was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Those nine strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Bender is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: she's snagged at least one every time she's taken the field this season.
Allie Purse
| 04/08/25 @ Desert Chapel | 3 |
| 04/03/25 vs Redlands Adventist Academy | 2 |
| 04/04/24 vs River Springs Charter School Magnolia | 2 |
| 03/18/25 @ Public Safety Academy | 1 |
| 04/08/24 @ Redlands Adventist Academy | 1 |
In other batting news, Allie Purse was a standout: she scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-2. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in RBI (three). Another player making a difference was Julianne Wills, who scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Mesa Grande Academy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .524. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .455 or higher in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Bethel Christian had just enough and edged out Calvary Baptist 14-13 on Tuesday.
Like Mesa Grande Academy, Bethel Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Maliyah Jarrett. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over 3.1 innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off only two hits. Jarrett was even better at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, four stolen bases, and four runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Monroe Kamio, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and one run. Jada Aldridge was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-5.
Bethel Christian has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.1 runs over those games. As for Mesa Grande Academy, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 3-1.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Mesa Grande Academy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .439. However, it's not like Bethel Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .430. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mesa Grande Academy might still be hurting after the 23-6 loss they got from Bethel Christian in their previous matchup back in April of 2022. Can the Cardinals avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
