The Sunnyslope Vikings will take on the St. Mary's Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, Sunnyslope turned things around against Gila Ridge on Friday. They walked away with a 10-6 victory over the Hawks. Considering the Vikings' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Sam Hyde
| 04/25/25 vs Gila Ridge | 4 |
| 04/19/25 @ Santa Cruz Valley | 3 |
| 04/16/25 vs Millennium | 3 |
| 04/14/25 vs Corona del Sol | 3 |
| 03/22/25 vs Tanque Verde | 3 |
Sam Hyde was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Sydney Benavidez was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Sunnyslope kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 8-3 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for St. Mary's, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Shadow Mountain with a sharp 11-2 win on Friday. The Knights might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matches by six runs or more this season.
Giahni Ruiz was a standout: she went 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Analysa Mejia, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
St. Mary's victory ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 11-15. As for Sunnyslope, their win bumped their record up to 12-16.
St. Mary's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Sunnyslope has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9 hits per game. It's a different story for St. Mary's, though, as they've been averaging 8.8 hits. Given Sunnyslope's sizable advantage in that area, the Knights will need to find a way to close that gap.
Sunnyslope took their victory against St. Mary's in their previous matchup back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 14-3 score. Will the Vikings repeat their success, or do the Knights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
