The Highland Prep Honey Badgers will face off against the River Valley Dust Devils at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Highland Prep has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with seven straight losses, while River Valley will come in with five straight victories.
On Friday, Highland Prep came up short against Odyssey Institute and fell 15-12. Even if the Honey Badgers couldn't come away with the win, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their hitters, which had struggled int the games prior.
Alexis Rodda made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. Maliah Johnson was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, River Valley made easy work of Tonopah Valley on Friday and carried off a 15-2 victory. The Dust Devils might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine matchups by ten runs or more this season.
Sophia Reyes was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
In other batting news, Bella Navarro was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Lovie Phan, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
River Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .720. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .360 or higher in 13 consecutive contests.
River Valley's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-4-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Highland Prep, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-8.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Highland Prep has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .540. However, it's not like River Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .575. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Highland Prep might still be hurting after the 18-0 loss they got from River Valley when the teams last played on Wednesday. Will the Honey Badgers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
