Desert Christian hasn't had much luck against Willcox recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Eagles will look to defend their home field against the Cowboys at 4:00 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Desert Christian had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 15-run drubbing they dealt St. Augustine Catholic on Monday. The Eagles' pitcher stepped up to hand the Wolves a 15-0 shutout.
Mikayla Hodges made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over four innings pitched. Hodges was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2. Those two runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Desert Christian got a massive performance out of Aimee Lloyd, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Alexa Yarger, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and one triple.
Desert Christian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 5-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Willcox got the win against Valley Union on Monday by a conclusive 14-2. The Cowboys might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 contests by six runs or more this season.
The team relied heavily on Emma McWilliams, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Layla Donahue, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Willcox has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a massive bump to their 15-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.3 runs over those games. As for Desert Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 5-12.
Wednesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Desert Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .461. However, it's not like Willcox struggles in that department as they've averaged .525. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Desert Christian came up short against Willcox in their previous matchup back in April of 2022, falling 5-2. Will the Eagles have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
