The Centennial Coyotes will face off against the Youngker Roughriders at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Centennial gave up the first runs on Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They were the clear victors by a 10-4 margin over Lake Havasu. The Coyotes might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by six runs or more this season.
Riley Moncrieff tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over 6.2 innings pitched. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Centennial got a massive performance out of Brooke Denton, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 4-for-5. Serenity Anchondo was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Centennial was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .441. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lake Havasu only posted a batting average of .179.
Youngker never got on the board in their matchup two weeks ago, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Paradise Valley on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Trojans with a sharp 20-10 victory. The Roughriders not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since April 16, 2024.
Ari Arreola was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, she gave up only zero earned runs, the fewest she's had since back in March of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in RBI (three).
In other batting news, Youngker let Jaelynn Alvear-Perez and Samantha Salgado Beltran run wild. Alvear-Perez scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4, while Salgado Beltran scored three runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Jazmin Hernandez, who went 1-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Centennial's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-5-1. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.5 runs over those games. As for Youngker, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-5.
Wednesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Centennial has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .536. However, it's not like Youngker struggles in that department as they've averaged .446. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
