The Sunrise Mountain Mustangs will venture away from home to face off against the Notre Dame Prep Saints at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
While Sunrise Mountain's victory against Ironwood wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Mustangs had just enough and edged out the Eagles 20-19 on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won four in a row.
The team relied heavily on Mckenna Morgan, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaylee Pruetz, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5.
Sunrise Mountain always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .578. They are a perfect 9-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame Prep entered their tilt with Campo Verde on Monday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Coyotes 11-9.
Marley Caldwell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and five unearned) runs on ten hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 11 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Sammy Swords was incredible, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-3. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Isabella Imwalle was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2.
Sunrise Mountain's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-8. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.0 runs over those games. As for Notre Dame Prep, their record now sits at 15-6.
Both Sunrise Mountain and Notre Dame Prep just can't seem to miss. The Mustangs have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.8 hits per game. However, it's not like Notre Dame Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.4 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Sunrise Mountain might still be hurting after the 12-2 loss they got from Notre Dame Prep in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
