The Pusch Ridge Christian Academy Lions are taking a road trip to take on the Sahuaro Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Pusch Ridge Christian Academy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
On Thursday, Pusch Ridge Christian Academy got the win against Catalina by a conclusive 18-1. Considering the Lions have won five games by more than 11 runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Maddy Hoel
| 04/10/25 @ Catalina | 9 |
| 03/22/25 vs Bourgade Catholic | 3 |
| 03/26/25 vs Walden Grove | 1 |
| 03/10/25 @ Amphitheater | 1 |
Maddy Hoel was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Those nine strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Josie Burnside was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Addy Johnston was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three RBI.
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .914. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Sahuaro was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their tenth straight loss. They came up short against Salpointe Catholic, falling 19-1.
The win got Pusch Ridge Christian Academy back to even at 8-8. As for Sahuaro, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-10.
Sahuaro's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Pusch Ridge Christian Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Sahuaro, though, as they've been averaging only 2.8 strikeouts. Will Pusch Ridge Christian Academy keep running through batters, or will the Cougars buck the trend?
Everything went Pusch Ridge Christian Academy's way against Sahuaro in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, as Pusch Ridge Christian Academy made off with a 15-6 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lions since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
