The Queen Creek Bulldogs will take on the Xavier College Prep Gators on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Queen Creek sitting on 17 straight victories and Xavier College Prep on 11.
Queen Creek is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They walked away with a 7-2 win over Desert Vista.
Aubrey Chavez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Emma Reynolds, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Gabby Ayala was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Xavier College Prep faced Tucson High Magnet School in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. The Gators skirted past the Badgers 3-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Gators have posted since May 13, 2024.
Xavier College Prep also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Angie Falls gave up only one earned run on two hits and racked up 16 Ks.
On the hitting side, Xavier College Prep's win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Riley McKeever, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
Queen Creek's victory was their 11th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 26-5. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Xavier College Prep, their victory bumped their record up to 21-5-4.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Queen Creek hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .378. However, it's not like Xavier College Prep struggles in that department as they've averaged .391. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Queen Creek came out on top in a nail-biter against Xavier College Prep in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 6-5. Do the Bulldogs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Gators turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
