The Chaparral Firebirds will take on the Mountain Pointe Pride at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
While Chaparral's win against Willow Canyon wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. Chaparral narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Willow Canyon 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Firebirds have posted since April 16, 2024.
Chaparral got a great performance from Devin Long as he struck out nine batters over 6.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits (and only one walk).
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jahir Jensen, who scored a run while going 2-for-2. He also put up two doubles, which were his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Gavin Mesa, who scored a run while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Mountain Pointe ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They won by a run and slipped past Ironwood 4-3.
Carlos Mungaray made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out eight over four innings pitched. What's more, he gave up only three hits, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run and one double.
In other batting news, Ivan Lopez was incredible, scoring a run and stealing Two bases. while going 4-for-4. Noa Ybarra was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
Mountain Pointe was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ironwood only posted a batting average of .200.
Chaparral now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Mountain Pointe, their victory bumped their record up to 2-3.
Chaparral's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's game. Chaparral has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Mountain Pointe, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Chaparral continue to outrun the ball? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
