Desert Edge is 1-9 against Verrado since April of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Scorpions will look to defend their home field against the Vipers at 6:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
On Wednesday, Desert Edge was able to grind out a solid win over Youngker, taking the game 12-7. The Scorpions haven't had any issues with the Roughriders recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Aliyah Fatigoni (2027) made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single walk in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024.
Gwen Alvarez (2026)
| 04/09/25 @ Youngker | 2 |
| 03/27/25 vs Buckeye | 1 |
| 03/20/25 vs North Canyon | 1 |
| 03/17/25 @ North Canyon | 1 |
In other batting news, Desert Edge let Leila Taylor (2027) and Gwen Alvarez (2026) run wild. Taylor (2027) went 4-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI, while Alvarez (2026) scored a run and stole two bases while going 4-for-4. Those two stolen bases gave Alvarez (2026) a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Azerae Cantrell (2027), who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-4.
Desert Edge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .558. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Youngker only posted an OBP of .361.
Meanwhile, Verrado had already won 13 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.4 runs) and they went ahead and made it 14 on Wednesday. They put the hurt on the Hawks with a sharp 18-3 win. Considering the Vipers have won ten matches by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Jill Ryan was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched five innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Ryan was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one RBI.
In other batting news, Verrado got a massive performance out of Dakota Chazaro, who went 4-for-5 with three runs and four RBI. Faith Grabau was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-5.
Verrado's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-1. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.6 runs over those games. As for Desert Edge, their victory bumped their record up to 7-10.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Desert Edge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .400. However, it's not like Verrado struggles in that department as they've averaged .440. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Desert Edge suffered a grim 19-2 defeat to Verrado in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Will the Scorpions have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
