The Casteel Colts will head out to square off against the Desert Vista Thunder at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Casteel was handed a heart-breaking two-run defeat in their last game, but they sure didn't let that happen against Mesa last Thursday. Casteel was the clear victor by a 13-2 margin over Mesa. The Colts not only won last Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since February 28th.
Kaedyn Carillo and KJ Tipton made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Carillo tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Tipton struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Carillo has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. At the plate, Carillo scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2, while Tipton got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one triple and one run. That's the most runs Carillo has posted over her last ten matches.
In other batting news, Casteel got a massive performance out of Lauren Fullton, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. What's more, Fullton posted two RBI, the most she's had over her last 12 contests. Winter Melendez also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Casteel kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mesa only managed three hits.
Meanwhile, Desert Vista entered their tilt with Cibola on Friday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They put the hurt on the Raiders with a sharp 11-4 win. The result was nothing new for the Thunder, who have now won 12 games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Madyson Purdy was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off seven hits. Purdy was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Mckenzie Leitgen was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Another player making a difference was Jessa Ramirez, who went 2-for-4 with one home run.
Desert Vista pushed their record up to 14-2 with the victory, which was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Casteel, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-10.
Casteel couldn't quite get it done against Desert Vista in their previous matchup back in February as they fell 8-4. Can Casteel avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
