The Desert Ridge Jaguars will head out on the road to face off against the Sunrise Mountain Mustangs at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Desert Ridge is coming into the match hot, having won their last five games.
It was a proper cat-fight when Desert Ridge challenged Gilbert on Thursday. Desert Ridge put the hurt on Gilbert with a sharp 10-0 win. The Jaguars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight games by six runs or more this season.
Elin Burger tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Maddie Bryant, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since March 1st. Mackenzie Perea also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Desert Ridge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .538. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Gilbert only posted an OBP of .263.
Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Sunrise Mountain's offense. They lost 13-0 to Willow Canyon on Thursday. Having soared to a lofty 17 runs in the game before, the Mustangs' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Desert Ridge pushed their record up to 12-4 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.3 runs over those games. As for Sunrise Mountain, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-6.
Sunrise Mountain's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Desert Ridge has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 12.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Sunrise Mountain, though, as they've been averaging 9 hits. Given Desert Ridge's sizable advantage in that area, Sunrise Mountain will need to find a way to close that gap. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
