The Round Valley Elks will head out on the road to challenge the Heritage Academy Heroes at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Round Valley's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 25-0 margin over Valley. The victory continues a trend for the Elks in their matchups with the Pirates: they've now won nine in a row.
Carla Arreola
| 04/04/25 @ Valley | 9 |
| 04/01/25 vs Pinon | 4 |
| 03/26/25 @ St. Johns | 3 |
| 03/22/25 vs Snowflake | 2 |
| 03/19/25 @ Morenci | 9 |
| + 8 more games |
Carla Arreola was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.1 strikeouts per game. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, three doubles, and one RBI. Those four hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Round Valley got a massive performance out of Kylar Penrod, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those five hits gave Penrod a new career-high. Kelci Walker was another key player, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
Round Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 25 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Heritage Academy had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs) and they went ahead and made it nine on Tuesday. They blew past the Titans 17-0.
Like Round Valley, Heritage Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Sieana Soltero. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Soltero has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, one triple, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Savana Soltero was a standout: she went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Ciara Madrid, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Heritage Academy pushed their record up to 14-1 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Round Valley, their record is now 9-5.
Both Round Valley and Heritage Academy just can't seem to miss. The Elks have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.6 hits per game. However, it's not like Heritage Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.8 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Round Valley couldn't quite finish off Heritage Academy when the teams last played back in March of 2024 and fell 14-12. Can the Elks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
