For the first time this season, Notre Dame Prep will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup on Thursday. They are headed away from home for the first time to take on the Chaparral Firebirds at 6:00 p.m. The last three games Notre Dame Prep has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Things were looking good for Notre Dame Prep after they put the first points on the board on Wednesday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Silo by a score of 6-5.
Notre Dame Prep got a good showing from Ben Hofmeister, who didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Owen Boeding was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Jace Wright also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Chaparral). Everything went their way against Desert Edge on Wednesday as Chaparral made off with a 17-0 win. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Devin Long tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. That one hit allowed gave him a new career-low.
At the plate, Chaparral got a massive performance out of Gavin Mesa, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Mesa is becoming a predictor of Chaparral's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 2-5 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Parker Halvorson, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Chaparral always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .676. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Chaparral now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Notre Dame Prep, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-8.
Notre Dame Prep took their win against Chaparral in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 13-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for Notre Dame Prep since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
