The Horizon Honors Eagles will head out on the road to challenge the Tempe Prep Knights at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Horizon Honors has seven straight wins, Tempe Prep has six straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Horizon Honors can now show off eight landslide victories after their most recent matchup on Friday. Everything went their way against Santa Cruz Valley as Horizon Honors made off with a 16-0 victory.
Austin Ragsdale was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Ragsdale has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in six consecutive pitching appearances. Ragsdale was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Hayden Melville was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with four RBI, a run, and a double. Aidan Andrews was another key contributor, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, a triple, and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Tempe Prep suffered a tough 18-4 defeat at the hands of St. John Paul II Catholic on Friday.
Tempe Prep saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nick Gastelum, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double.
Horizon Honors' win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-4. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.6 runs per game. As for Tempe Prep, their loss dropped their record down to 2-12.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Horizon Honors has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .473. However, it's not like Tempe Prep struggles in that department as they've averaged .442. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Horizon Honors took their victory against Tempe Prep in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 9-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Horizon Honors since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
