The Arizona College Prep Knights will head out on the road to face off against the Sunrise Mountain Mustangs at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Arizona College Prep's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Sunrise Mountain's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Arizona College Prep made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Desert Mountain, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Knights fell just short of the Wolves by a score of 4-2 on Thursday. The Knights have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Liliana Gagnon was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she struck out six batters over six innings while giving up four earned runs off eight hits (and only one walk).
On the hitting side, Arizona College Prep saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Rachel Cain, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Sunrise Mountain came out on top against Ironwood on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run first inning. The Mustangs walked away with a 7-3 win over the Eagles. The victory continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won five in a row.
Mackenzie Catalanotte made a splash no matter where she played. She tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Catalanotte was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one double. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Mckenna Morgan was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Kaelani Paulino was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Sunrise Mountain kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are a perfect 13-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Sunrise Mountain's record is now 15-9. As for Arizona College Prep, their loss dropped their record down to 20-5.
Sunrise Mountain's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Arizona College Prep has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.2 hits per game. It's a different story for Sunrise Mountain, though, as they've been averaging 9.3 hits. Given Arizona College Prep's sizable advantage in that area, the Mustangs will need to find a way to close that gap. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
