After both having extra time off, the Basha Bears and the Queen Creek Bulldogs will dust off their jerseys to square off against one another at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Basha's pitching crew has only allowed 3.5 runs per game this season, so Queen Creek's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Basha is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Arizona's top teams: Xavier College Prep, who was ranked tenth at the time (Basha was ranked fourth). Basha lost 9-2 to Xavier College Prep last Thursday. The game marked the Bears' lowest-scoring match so far this season.
Kylee Duffy
| 03/06/25 vs Xavier College Prep | 2 |
| 03/04/25 @ Highland | 1 |
| 03/01/25 vs Willow Canyon | 0 |
| 02/27/25 vs Mountain View | 1 |
Kylee Duffy was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she struck out six batters over 6.1 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Basha saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Addy Kimberlin, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Queen Creek). They blew past Kofa 22-7 last Tuesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Bulldogs with their most commanding win of the season.
The team relied heavily on Emma Reynolds, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, two triples, and four RBI. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in hits. Another player making a difference was Kayla Porter, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one double.
Queen Creek was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .649. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
The defeat snapped Basha's winning streak at seven games and leaves them with a 7-1 record. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.4 runs over those games. As for Queen Creek, their win was their 12th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-3.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Basha hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .399. However, it's not like Queen Creek struggles in that department as they've averaged .405. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Basha skirted past Queen Creek 3-2 in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Does Basha have another victory up their sleeve, or will Queen Creek turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
