Glendale Prep Academy is 0-8 against Phoenix Christian since March of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Glendale Prep Academy Griffins will be staying on the road to face off against the Phoenix Christian Cougars at 3:45 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Tuesday, Glendale Prep Academy beat St. John Paul II Catholic 10-7. The victory was just what Glendale Prep Academy needed coming off of a 23-7 loss in their prior contest.
Natalie Whipple made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and three unearned) runs off eight hits. Whipple has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive pitching appearances. Whipple was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Ally Moore was a standout: she went 1-for-3 with a home run and two runs. Another player making a difference was Annabelle McRoy, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Christian stacked a tenth blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Wednesday. They blew past Anthem Prep 15-1. Winning may never get old, but Phoenix Christian sure is getting used to it with their seventh in a row.
Like Glendale Prep Academy, Phoenix Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Karly Van Metre. On the mound, she struck out 14 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Van Metre was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Phoenix Christian got a massive performance out of Jacky Vega, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4. Madison Shores was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Glendale Prep Academy has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 6-5 record this season. As for Phoenix Christian, their win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-4-1.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Glendale Prep Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .521. However, it's not like Phoenix Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .463. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Glendale Prep Academy might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Phoenix Christian when the teams last played back in March. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Phoenix Christian's Rebekah Van Sant, who didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. Now that Glendale Prep Academy knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
