Pusch Ridge Christian Academy is 1-9 against Empire since April of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Lions will host the Ravens at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over Sahuaro. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Lions.
Not much got past Josie Burnside, who gave up just three hits and racked up 13 Ks to keep Sahuaro off the board.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Milan Daniels, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two doubles. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Hadley English, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3.
Daniels wasn't the only one making solid contact: Pusch Ridge Christian Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. The Lions are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Empire strolled into their game on Thursday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They put the hurt on Safford with a sharp 6-0 victory.
Safford's batters probably weren't too happy with Kendall Freidinger, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 20 Ks (she gave up zero walks). Freidinger has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in 14 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Empire let Gabrianna Brooks and Abby Zsitvay run wild. Brooks scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Zsitvay scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Eva Peace was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Empire pushed their record up to 21-0 with the win, which was their 19th straight on the road dating back to last season. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Pusch Ridge Christian Academy, they now have a winning record of 9-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pusch Ridge Christian Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Empire struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy might still be hurting after the 10-2 defeat they got from Empire when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Will the Lions have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
