The Hayden Lobos will face off against the Mogollon Mustangs at 12:00 p.m. on Friday.
Hayden is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering San Tan Charter just ended the team's eight-game winning streak on Saturday. They fell just short of the Roadrunners by a score of 5-3.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Mogollon, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They blew past Valley Lutheran 17-1 on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won eight games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Yoyo Suarez made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Suarez was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with four RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2025.
In other pitching news, Christian Burton looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Eric Starkes was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with four runs, two stolen bases, and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March of 2025. Another player making a difference was Quinn Tenney, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Mogollon was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .464. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Valley Lutheran only posted a batting average of .231.
Mogollon pushed their record up to 13-4 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Hayden, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-5.
Everything went Hayden's way against Mogollon in their previous matchup back in May of 2025, as Hayden made off with a 13-6 victory. Do the Lobos have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.