Baseball Preview: Salpointe Catholic Lancers vs. Walden Grove Red Wolves
Salpointe Catholic is 10-0 against Walden Grove since February of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Monday. The Salpointe Catholic Lancers will head out on the road to challenge the Walden Grove Red Wolves at 4:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Salpointe Catholic is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Arizona's top teams: Canyon del Oro, who was ranked tenth in their home state at the time (Salpointe Catholic was ranked 19th). Everything went Salpointe Catholic's way against Canyon del Oro on Friday as Salpointe Catholic made off with a 13-3 victory. The result was nothing new for Salpointe Catholic, who have now won 11 matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Colton Raetzman was excellent, scoring three runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Jose Simon, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
Meanwhile, Walden Grove scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Thursday. They were the clear victor by a 22-1 margin over Amphitheater. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded Walden Grove with their most commanding win of the season.
Walden Grove got a massive performance out of Alejandro Martinez, who scored four runs and stole two bases while going 4-for-4. AJ Escarcega was another key contributor, going 3-for-5 with four RBI, a run, and a double.
Salpointe Catholic has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 11 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 18-6-1 record this season. As for Walden Grove, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 15-10.
Monday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Salpointe Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .366. However, it's not like Walden Grove struggles in that department as they've averaged .333. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Salpointe Catholic took their victory against Walden Grove when the teams last played back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 8-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for Salpointe Catholic since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
