The River Valley Dust Devils will head out on the road to face off against the Yuma Catholic Shamrocks at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. River Valley will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
River Valley took a seven-run loss the last time they faced off against ALA - West Foothills, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. River Valley sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 12-10 win over ALA - West Foothills on Friday.
The team relied heavily on Kaelynne Niswonger, who scored a run while going 3-for-3. What's more, she posted two doubles, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Cherity Gonzalez, who scored a run while going 3-for-3.
River Valley hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most four strikeouts in nine consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Yuma Catholic got themselves on the board against Tonopah Valley on Thursday, but Tonopah Valley never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Phoenix with a sharp 10-0 victory. The Shamrocks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by six runs or more this season.
Faith Donley was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Kodi Leigh was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two RBI, and one double.
Yuma Catholic is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten games. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. River Valley's record now sits at 9-3-1.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. River Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .535. However, it's not like Yuma Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .455. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
River Valley couldn't quite finish off Yuma Catholic in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 and fell 10-8. Can River Valley avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
