The Chaparral Firebirds will venture away from home to face off against the Desert Edge Scorpions at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with seven defeats in a row, Chaparral turned things around against Mountain Pointe on Friday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Pride a 5-0 shutout.
Will Gnirk
| 04/24/26 vs Mountain Pointe | 10 |
| 04/14/26 @ Campo Verde | 6 |
| 04/08/26 @ Desert Mountain | 2 |
| 04/02/26 vs Arizona College Prep | 5 |
| 03/26/26 vs McClintock | 3 |
| 03/21/26 vs La Cueva | 10 |
Chaparral got a great performance from Will Gnirk as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out ten over 5.2 innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts Gnirk has posted since back in March.
At the plate, Max Mangini was excellent, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. Keone Ede was another key player, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Desert Edge beat Buckeye 6-1 on Saturday. The Scorpions haven't had any issues with the Hawks recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Adam Campbell was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI. That stolen base marked the first that he has snagged this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Cayden Scott, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Desert Edge kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Chaparral's record now sits at 12-13. As for Desert Edge, their record is now 8-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Chaparral has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Desert Edge struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Chaparral's way against Desert Edge when the teams last played back in March of 2025, as Chaparral made off with a 17-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Firebirds since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
