The Goldwater Bulldogs will take on the Marcos de Niza Padres at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Having struggled with eight losses in a row dating back to last season, Goldwater turned things around against Desert Sunrise on Thursday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Golden Hawks a 15-0 shutout. The high-scoring effort was just what the Bulldogs needed considering they were shutout in their previous game.
Micaela De La Torre and Miley Zapata made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, De La Torre struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Zapata tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Furthermore, De La Torre didn't allow a single earned run, the first time she has blanked an opponent since back in March of 2024. At the plate, De La Torre scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances, while Zapata scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Johanna Hampton, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. What's more, she posted three hits, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. Faith Pederson was another key player, scoring a run and stealing three bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Marcos de Niza gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Wednesday. They blew past Camelback 15-0.
Like Goldwater, Marcos de Niza also got a great game from a two-way player: Leila Rodriguez. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out ten over 4.2 innings pitched. Rodriguez was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two triples, three runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Marcos de Niza got a massive performance out of Alaina Tavena, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Olivia Franco, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Goldwater suffered a grim 20-1 defeat to Marcos de Niza in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can Goldwater avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
