The Thunderbird Titans will head out to square off against the Deer Valley Skyhawks at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Thunderbird is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against Moon Valley on Thursday as Thunderbird made off with a 25-3 win. The victory continues a trend for the Titans in their matchups with the Rockets: they've now won seven in a row.
Evan Turner and Addison Hodge were a major factor no matter where they played. Throwing, Turner tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Hodge struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). That's the fewest hits Turner has allowed since back in February. At the plate, Turner scored a run while going 1-for-2, while Hodge scored three runs while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave Hodge a new career-high.
Madelyn Vasquez
| 03/27/25 vs Moon Valley | 4 |
| 03/21/25 vs Morenci | 3 |
| 03/04/24 @ Apollo | 3 |
| 02/27/25 vs Coronado | 2 |
| 04/10/24 vs Agua Fria | 2 |
In other batting news, Madelyn Vasquez was a standout: she scored four runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Those four runs gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooke Casey, who scored three runs while going 2-for-2.
Thunderbird always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .700. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Deer Valley got themselves on the board against Westview on Thursday, but Westview never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 16-0 margin over the Knights. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Skyhawks.
Adyson Ordway made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Deer Valley got a massive performance out of Taylor Passalacqua, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Braxton Edberg also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Thunderbird pushed their record up to 10-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Deer Valley, their record is now 13-3-1.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Thunderbird hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .395. However, it's not like Deer Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .358. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Thunderbird might still be hurting after the 10-3 loss they got from Deer Valley in their previous matchup last Thursday. Can Thunderbird avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
