The Desert Vista Thunder will take on the Skyline Coyotes at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Desert Vista 3.5, Skyline 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
On Saturday, Desert Vista came up short against Millennium and fell 9-5.
Desert Vista got a good showing from Benjamin Ernst, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Ernst has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
Anthony Renda
| 03/22/25 @ Millennium | 2 |
| 03/13/25 vs Mesquite | 1 |
| 02/28/25 vs Arizona College Prep | 1 |
| 02/27/25 vs Desert Mountain | 1 |
At the plate, Anthony Renda made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Luke Hutton, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Skyline didn't have quite enough to beat Yuma on Saturday and fell 5-4.
Thor Pelczarski was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). That's the fewest earned runs he has allowed since back in February.
On the hitting side, Skyline saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Zavier Flores, who went 1-for-5 with two RBI and one double. Dru Moore was another, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Skyline's loss dropped their record down to 9-3. As for Desert Vista, their defeat ended a six-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 10-4.
Monday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Desert Vista has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .486. However, it's not like Skyline struggles in that department as they've averaged .438. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Desert Vista's way against Skyline in their previous meeting back in March of 2023, as Desert Vista made off with a 9-1 win. Does Desert Vista have another victory up their sleeve, or will Skyline turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
