Pusch Ridge Christian Academy hasn't had much luck against Sabino recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Lions will challenge the Sabercats at 4:00 p.m. Pusch Ridge Christian Academy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy fell victim to Empire and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They lost 14-0 to the Ravens. Having soared to a lofty 12 runs in the game before, the Lions' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sophia Hettich, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last match, Sabino made sure to put some runs up on the board against Thatcher on Thursday. The Sabercats never let the Eagles get on the board and left with a 12-0 victory. The Sabercats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten contests by six runs or more this season.
Avery Nielson and Anouk Alzaga made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Nielson struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Alzaga didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. Nielson has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. At the plate, Nielson got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and four RBI, while Alzaga went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
In other batting news, Bobbi Valles was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Alyssa Aguirre, who went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Sabino was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .394. They are 8-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Sabino is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 12 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-11 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Pusch Ridge Christian Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-9.
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's matchup. The Lions have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Sabino, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Pusch Ridge Christian Academy continue to outrun the ball?
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy might still be hurting after the 19-2 loss they got from Sabino when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Lions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
