Notre Dame Prep has won three straight games at home, while Centennial has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Monday. The Saints will host the Coyotes at 6:00 p.m.
Notre Dame Prep came into their game on Saturday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They came up short against Salpointe Catholic, falling 14-8. The Saints have struggled against the Lancers recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive lost meeting.
Brayden Higby made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Owen Boeding, who scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Centennial never let their opponents score on Friday. They put the hurt on ALA - Gilbert North with a sharp 8-0 win. Considering the Coyotes have won nine matchups by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Not much got past Isaac Flores, who gave up just six hits and racked up six Ks to keep ALA - Gilbert North off the board. Flores has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Bobby Villa III was a standout: he went 1-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. Xavier Escontrias was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Centennial hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive games.
Centennial's victory bumped their record up to 13-7. As for Notre Dame Prep, their loss dropped their record down to 8-13.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Notre Dame Prep has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Centennial struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Notre Dame Prep came up short against Centennial in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, falling 8-3. Can the Saints avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
