The San Tan Charter Roadrunners will face off against the Chandler Prep Titans at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. San Tan Charter is coming into the match hot, having won their last five games.
While San Tan Charter's win against Glendale Prep Academy wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Roadrunners skirted past the Griffins 4-3. The four-run effort marked the Roadrunners' lowest-scoring game of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
The team relied heavily on Joe Markland, who scored a run while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Tommy Crupi, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Chandler Prep). They never let Arete Prep get on the board and left with a 16-0 victory on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Titans, who have now won six contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Henry Allen made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, Isaac Swanson was incredible, scoring four runs while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Aidan Allen was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Chandler Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .719. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Chandler Prep pushed their record up to 7-3 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for San Tan Charter, their win bumped their record up to 10-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. San Tan Charter has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Chandler Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
San Tan Charter took their victory against Chandler Prep in their previous meeting back in April of 2022 by a conclusive 19-5 score. Do the Roadrunners have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Titans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
