The Catalina Foothills Falcons will challenge the Canyon del Oro Dorados at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Catalina Foothills comes in on ten and Canyon del Oro on seven.
Catalina Foothills came out on top against Casa Grande on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run second inning. The Falcons were the clear victors by an 8-1 margin over the Cougars. Considering the Falcons have won 11 contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Yaxel Ledesma and Ganon Dwyer were major factors no matter where they played. Throwing, Ledesma tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Dwyer tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. The dominant performance also gave Ledesma a new career-high in strikeouts (four). At bat, Ledesma went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Dwyer went 1-for-3 with three RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cooper Kruk, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March.
Meanwhile, while Canyon del Oro put up plenty of runs on Saturday, the same can't be said for Sahuaro. The Dorados put the hurt on the Cougars with a sharp 16-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Dorados, who have now won ten matches by nine runs or more so far this season.
Like Catalina Foothills, Canyon del Oro also got a great game from a two-way player: Peyton Carson. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. Carson has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
In other pitching news, Zane Moffitt looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
Back at the plate, Canyon del Oro got a massive performance out of Tarrell Reid, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Maximus Hendrix, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, two doubles, and two RBI.
Canyon del Oro always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .645. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Sahuaro only posted an OBP of .286.
Canyon del Oro's victory was their 19th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 20-5. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Catalina Foothills, their record is now 19-3.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Catalina Foothills has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .442. However, it's not like Canyon del Oro struggles in that department as they've averaged .471. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Catalina Foothills suffered a grim 9-2 defeat to Canyon del Oro in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Falcons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
