The Granite Hills Cougars will square off against the Serrano Diamondbacks at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. Granite Hills has given up an average of 11 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Granite Hills is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They walked away with a 19-14 win over Arroyo Valley on Tuesday.
Kathryn McCartney made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run but no hits. McCartney was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in four of her six plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Granite Hills got a massive performance out of Isabel Brandon, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with five RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That stolen base marked the first that Brandon has snagged this season. Another player making a difference was Saylor Croom, who went 3-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles.
Granite Hills always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .588. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Serrano, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 victory over Silverado on Tuesday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Diamondbacks as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
The team relied heavily on Aubrey Malone, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2025. Kylee Moore was another key player, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs.
The victory got Granite Hills back to even at 2-2. As for Serrano, their win bumped their record up to 4-6.
Granite Hills' speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's matchup. The Cougars have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Serrano, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Granite Hills continue to outrun the ball?
Granite Hills suffered a grim 19-8 defeat to Serrano in their previous matchup back in March of 2025. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
