The Mesquite Wildcats will challenge the Marcos de Niza Padres at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Mesquite has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with three straight defeats, while Marcos de Niza will come in with seven straight victories.
Mesquite came up short against Saguaro on Thursday, falling 13-5.
Layla Ontiveros was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That RBI was her first of the season. Jasmine Jaramillo was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one triple and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Marcos de Niza never let their opponents score on Friday. Everything went their way against South Mountain as Marcos de Niza made off with a 13-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Padres, who have now won four matches by eight runs or more so far this season.
Leila Rodriguez was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Dakota Dunn was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Sierrah Ortega, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one triple, one stolen base, and one run.
Marcos de Niza kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in six consecutive games.
Marcos de Niza pushed their record up to 7-0 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Mesquite, their loss dropped their record down to 4-7.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Mesquite has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .479. However, it's not like Marcos de Niza struggles in that department as they've averaged .490. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mesquite might still be hurting after the 14-1 defeat they got from Marcos de Niza in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can Mesquite avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
