After both having extra time off, the Palm Desert Aztecs and the Shadow Hills Knights will shake off the rust and duke it out at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Palm Desert is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.
Palm Desert's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed last Thursday. Everything went their way against Xavier Prep as they made off with a 22-0 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Aztecs.
Gwyneth Kitagawa
| 04/17/25 vs Xavier Prep | 6 |
| 03/25/25 @ Palm Springs | 3 |
| 03/26/25 @ San Jacinto | 2 |
| 02/26/25 vs Redlands | 2 |
| 03/14/25 @ Rancho Mirage | 1 |
Gwyneth Kitagawa was incredible, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with one home run, six RBI, and three runs. Those six RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Lily Rice, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and two RBI.
Palm Desert always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .795. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Shadow Hills, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They skirted past La Quinta 4-3.
Ava Valenzuela spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on four hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Shadow Hills' win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Samantha Perez, who went 2-for-3 with two runs.
Shadow Hills' victory was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-3. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. As for Palm Desert, their victory bumped their record up to 9-11.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Palm Desert hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .337. However, it's not like Shadow Hills struggles in that department as they've averaged .371. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Palm Desert suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Shadow Hills when the teams last played back in March. Will the Aztecs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
