The Higley Knights will face off against the ALA - Queen Creek Patriots at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Higley has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with five straight losses, while ALA - Queen Creek will come in with four straight victories.
Higley came up short against Queen Creek on Thursday, falling 15-6.
Ella Babcock made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, ALA - Queen Creek made easy work of ALA - Gilbert North on Thursday and carried off a 12-2 win. The Patriots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by six runs or more this season.
Chloe Varvel made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one triple. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in February.
In other batting news, Sadie Nielson was incredible, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Kamrynn Phillips was another key player, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs and one triple.
ALA - Queen Creek was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. They are 6-2 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
ALA - Queen Creek pushed their record up to 8-5 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Higley, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-12-1.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Higley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. However, it's not like ALA - Queen Creek struggles in that department as they've averaged .373. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
