Chino Valley hasn't had much luck against River Valley recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Cougars will venture away from home to face off against the Dust Devils at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Chino Valley took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They skirted past Kingman 5-3. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Kinsey Murphy
| 04/14/25 vs Kingman | 18 |
| 04/09/25 @ Winslow | 10 |
| 04/04/25 @ Parker | 11 |
| 04/03/25 vs Tonopah Valley | 7 |
| 03/31/25 @ Odyssey Institute | 9 |
| + 3 more games |
Kinsey Murphy was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out 18 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one triple and one RBI. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aden Hubble, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played.
Chino Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 3.7 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 9.8.
Meanwhile, River Valley came tearing into Monday's game with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 15 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They never let the Honey Badgers get on the board and left with a 21-0 victory. The Dust Devils might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten matches by ten runs or more this season.
Like Chino Valley, River Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Sophia Reyes. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out ten over four innings pitched. Reyes was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while going 4-for-4. What's more, she posted two doubles, the most she's had since back in February.
In other batting news, River Valley let Bella Navarro and Tamarie Williams run wild. Navarro went 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs, while Williams went 4-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most RBI Navarro has posted since back in March. Morgan MacDonald was another key player, scoring three runs while going 4-for-4.
Chino Valley's record now sits at 10-8. As for River Valley, their record is now 15-4-1.
Chino Valley might still be hurting after the 15-0 loss they got from River Valley in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
