The Highland Hawks will head out on the road to square off against the Gilbert Tigers at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Highland is looking to tack on another W to their six-game streak on the road.
It may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Highland ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They had just enough and edged Perry out 7-6.
Cambria Chacon spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Highland got a massive performance out of Alexis Eley, who went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and a double. Another player making a difference was Savanna Isaacson, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Gilbert earned a 6-3 victory over Gila Ridge on Thursday. The win made it back-to-back victories for Gilbert.
Mia Rodriguez and Brinli Fletcher made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Rodriguez pitched 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits (she also didn't allow any walks). Meanwhile, Fletcher pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits (she also didn't allow any walks). At the plate, Rodriguez went 1-for-3 with a triple and an RBI, while Fletcher scored a run while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Kambri Garcia was excellent, going 2-for-5 with a triple, a run, and an RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Gezzelle Guardado, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Highland's record is now 11-4-2. As for Gilbert, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matches, which provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Highland has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .458. However, it's not like Gilbert struggles in that department as they've averaged .503. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Highland was able to grind out a solid win over Gilbert in their previous meeting back in March of 2023, winning 13-8. Does Highland have another victory up their sleeve, or will Gilbert turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps