The Perry Pumas will head out to challenge the Xavier College Prep Gators at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Perry is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.1 runs per game this season.
Last Wednesday, Perry was able to grind out a solid win over Saguaro, taking the game 7-3.
Brynlee Brassfield spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on five hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
Emily Gephart
| 04/09/25 vs Saguaro | 2 |
| 03/08/25 @ Mohave | 1 |
| 03/07/25 vs Lakewood | 1 |
| 03/07/25 vs Hamilton | 1 |
| 03/06/25 vs Bishop Amat | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Emily Gephart, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-4. Those two runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Braylee Harder, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Perry was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .393. They are 5-2 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Xavier College Prep waltzed into their matchup on Wednesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They never let the Tigers get on the board and left with a 14-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Gators, who have now won 14 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Sariah McNabb was incredible, going 3-for-4 with five RBI, three runs, and three doubles. Noelani Romo was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two runs.
Xavier College Prep pushed their record up to 14-5-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.0 runs on average over those games. As for Perry, the win got them back to even at 10-10.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Perry hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Xavier College Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.5 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Perry couldn't quite finish off Xavier College Prep when the teams last played back in April of 2024 and fell 2-0. Can the Pumas avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
