The Gila Ridge Hawks will look to defend their home field on Thursday against the Gilbert Tigers at 3:45 p.m. The pair have allowed few runs on average, (Gila Ridge: 3.8, Gilbert: 4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Gila Ridge has not done well against Cibola recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. Gila Ridge came out on top against Cibola by a score of 5-1. The victory was just what Gila Ridge needed coming off of a 12-0 loss in their prior contest.
Malina Peterson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just zero earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Tayler Rieschmann, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Addison Duke was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Gilbert sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 win over Campo Verde on Tuesday. The victory was just what Gilbert needed coming off of a 9-2 defeat in their prior game.
Gilbert also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Brinli Fletcher gave up only one earned (and one unearned) run on seven hits and racked up six Ks. Fletcher has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in five consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Gilbert's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Layla Napoli, who went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Gila Ridge's victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-4. As for Gilbert, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Gila Ridge has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .434. However, it's not like Gilbert struggles in that department as they've averaged .511. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Gila Ridge came up short against Gilbert in their previous matchup back in March of 2023, falling 7-4. Thankfully for Gila Ridge, Izzy Aguirre (who tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (she also didn't allow any walks)) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps