The Cactus Shadows Falcons will challenge the St. Mary's Knights at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Cactus Shadows is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last six games.
On Thursday, Cactus Shadows was able to grind out a solid win over Marcos de Niza, taking the game 5-1.
Megan Hughes spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on six hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Ashlyn Cundall was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Olivia Fossey, who went 1-for-3 with one triple and one run.
Cactus Shadows was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Marcos de Niza only posted a batting average of .214.
Meanwhile, St. Mary's got their first taste of in-conference action on Thursday and they started things off strong. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Mesquite, sneaking past 7-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Knights have posted since April 15, 2024.
St. Mary's also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Camilla Marquez gave up four earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ava Sierras, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Izzy Nunez was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
St. Mary's win bumped their record up to 10-11. As for Cactus Shadows, their victory bumped their record up to 16-9.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Cactus Shadows hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .348. However, it's not like St. Mary's struggles in that department as they've averaged .313. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Cactus Shadows' way against St. Mary's in their previous meeting back in April of 2018, as Cactus Shadows made off with a 16-7 win. Will the Falcons repeat their success, or do the Knights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
