The Ironwood Eagles will head out on the road to take on the Willow Canyon Wildcats at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Willow Canyon will be up against a hot Ironwood team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. Ironwood put the hurt on Kellis with a sharp 11-2 win on Thursday. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by nine runs or more this season.
Alyssa Ridgley spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on zero hits. Those zero hits allowed gave her a new career-low.
On the hitting side, Ironwood got a massive performance out of Madelaine Gober, who went 4-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most doubles Gober has posted since back in February of 2024. Serenity Meyer was another key player, going 3-for-5 with three doubles, two runs, and one RBI.
Ironwood was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .389. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .323 or higher in nine consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Willow Canyon, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Sunrise Mountain a 13-0 shutout on Thursday. That looming 13-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Wildcats yet this season.
Easton Spriggs made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Willow Canyon let Ari Edwards and Mataya Olson run wild. Edwards went 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Olson scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Edwards has been hot recently, having posted at least one home run the last three times she's played. Madison Jones also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Willow Canyon's victory was their 17th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-6-1. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.9 runs over those games. As for Ironwood, their record now sits at 6-7.
Willow Canyon's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Ironwood has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Willow Canyon, though, as they've been averaging 9.7 hits. Given Ironwood's sizable advantage in that area, Willow Canyon will need to find a way to close that gap.
Ironwood suffered a grim 14-0 defeat to Willow Canyon when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can Ironwood avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
