Phoenix Christian has won seven straight games at home, while St. Johns has won seven straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Saturday. The Cougars will host the Redskins at 1:00 p.m. Phoenix Christian is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.8 runs per game this season.
On Friday, Phoenix Christian earned a 7-4 victory over Camp Verde.
Karly Van Metre spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Kyla Carpio was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooklyn Clark, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI.
Phoenix Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They are a perfect 12-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask St. Johns). Their pitcher stepped up to hand Valley a 27-0 shutout on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Redskins, who have now won 11 games by nine runs or more so far this season.
Maizy Pulsipher made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over four innings pitched. Those 11 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, two doubles, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cami Martin, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, four runs, and two RBI. Those four runs gave her a new career-high. Kynsli Martin was another key player, going 1-for-2 with four stolen bases, three RBI, and one run.
Phoenix Christian's win bumped their record up to 18-7. As for St. Johns, their victory bumped their record up to 13-9-1.
Phoenix Christian couldn't quite get it done against St. Johns in their previous meeting back in March of 2016 as they fell 8-4. Will the Cougars have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
