A feisty cat fight will be fought as Boulder Creek Jaguars face off against Maryvale Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, Boulder Creek and Maryvale will really light up the scoreboard.
Boulder Creek took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They blew past Cibola 11-3. The result was nothing new for the Jaguars, who have now won three matches by eight runs or more so far this season.
Kinsey Wilcox looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Boulder Creek got a massive performance out of Bailey Kerr, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run and two runs. Another player making a difference was Bailey Chapman, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Boulder Creek always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .690. The last time their OBP was this high was back in March of 2024.
Meanwhile, Maryvale hadn't done well against Mesa recently (they were 0-4 in their previous four matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. Everything went Maryvale's way against Mesa as Maryvale made off with an 11-5 victory. The win was just business as usual for the Panthers, who after three games remain undefeated this season.
Isabel Hernandez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 15 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). Hernandez was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with four RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in RBI.
In other batting news, Marianna Jennings was a standout: she scored four runs and stole Two bases. while going 3-for-4. Leslie Gibbons was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Boulder Creek's record is now 4-1. As for Maryvale, their record is now 3-0.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Boulder Creek hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .390. However, it's not like Maryvale struggles in that department as they've averaged .368. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
