The Arrowhead Christian Eagles will challenge the Linfield Christian Lions at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Arrowhead Christian 3.6, Linfield Christian 3.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Arrowhead Christian made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Aquinas, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Arrowhead Christian put the hurt on Aquinas with a sharp 8-1 victory on Tuesday. Considering the Eagles have won six matches by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Allie Chavez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Daizey Naefke was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Gracie Chavez, who scored a run while going 4-for-5.
Arrowhead Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .444. They are 6-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Linfield Christian waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with four straight wins... but they left with five. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Knights a 4-0 shutout. The four-run effort marked the Lions' lowest-scoring game of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Not much got past Presley Sloniker, who gave up just two hits and racked up seven Ks to keep Ontario Christian off the board. That's the most strikeouts Sloniker has posted since back in February.
At the plate, Linfield Christian saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Celeste Smith, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Linfield Christian's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Arrowhead Christian, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-4 record this season.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Arrowhead Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .504. However, it's not like Linfield Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .493. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Arrowhead Christian suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Linfield Christian when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will Arrowhead Christian have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
