The Flagstaff Eagles are taking a road trip to face off against the ALA - Queen Creek Patriots at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Flagstaff hadn't beaten Bradshaw Mountain on the road since May 5, 2021 but that history sure didn't bother them on Thursday. The Eagles were the clear victors by a 17-1 margin over the Bears. The victory was familiar territory for the Eagles, who have now won six matches in a row.
Mia Garcia
| 04/10/25 @ Bradshaw Mountain | 9 |
| 03/19/25 @ Agua Fria | 5 |
| 03/20/25 vs Mica Mountain | 4 |
| 04/05/25 vs Lee Williams | 3 |
| 04/04/25 @ Mingus | 1 |
Mia Garcia made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Those nine strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that she launched this season.
In other batting news, Flagstaff got a big performance out of Lucy Lansens, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. What's more, Lansens posted three RBI, the most she's had over her last ten contests. Another player making a difference was Mayla Speer, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Flagstaff always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .567. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, ALA - Queen Creek got the win against Combs on Thursday by a conclusive 16-1. The win continues a trend for the Patriots in their matchups with the Coyotes: they've now won seven in a row.
Like Flagstaff, ALA - Queen Creek also got a great game from a two-way player: Chloe Varvel. On the mound, she tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Varvel was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, ALA - Queen Creek let Taelyn Ehmke and Sadie Nielson run wild. Ehmke went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Nielson scored four runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-3. Nielson has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Peyton Gosnell, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Flagstaff pushed their record up to 10-6-1 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.7 runs over those games. As for ALA - Queen Creek, the victory got them back to even at 11-11.
Saturday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Flagstaff has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .479. However, it's not like ALA - Queen Creek struggles in that department as they've averaged .497. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
