Empire has gone 9-1 against Pusch Ridge Christian Academy recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Wednesday. The Ravens will challenge the Lions at 4:00 p.m. Empire will come into the game with an undefeated record on the line.
Empire had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Safford on Thursday. The Ravens' pitcher stepped up to hand the Bulldogs a 6-0 shutout. The Ravens might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 15 matches by six runs or more this season.
Kendall Freidinger
| 04/10/25 @ Safford | 20 |
| 04/08/25 @ Sabino | 18 |
| 04/04/25 @ Ironwood Ridge | 11 |
| 04/02/25 vs Bourgade Catholic | 14 |
| 03/29/25 @ Winslow | 13 |
| + 9 more games |
Safford's batters probably weren't too happy with Kendall Freidinger, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 20 Ks (she gave up zero walks). Freidinger has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in 14 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Gabrianna Brooks and Abby Zsitvay did most of the damage at the plate: Brooks scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Zsitvay scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Kapri Tiggas also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Pusch Ridge Christian Academy duked it out with Sahuaro on Friday. The Lions put the hurt on the Cougars with a sharp 12-0 victory. The Lions are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the sixth contest they've won by 6+ runs this season.
Not much got past Josie Burnside, who gave up just three hits and racked up 13 Ks to keep Sahuaro off the board.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Milan Daniels, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two doubles. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Hannah DeBake, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4.
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Empire's win was their 19th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 21-0. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Pusch Ridge Christian Academy, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-8 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Empire has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 11.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pusch Ridge Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Empire's way against Pusch Ridge Christian Academy in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, as Empire made off with a 10-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Ravens since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
