The Seton Catholic Sentinels will face off against the Valley Christian Trojans at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Valley Christian will be up against a hot Seton Catholic squad: the team just extended their winning streak to four. The Sentinels' pitcher stepped up to hand Apache Junction an 11-0 shutout on Friday. Give the Sentinels' pitching crew some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.
P.J. Rafford
| 04/11/25 vs Apache Junction | 8 |
| 03/31/25 vs Valley Christian | 2 |
| 03/21/25 vs St. Mary's | 4 |
| 03/11/25 vs Salpointe Catholic | 4 |
| 03/04/25 vs Yuma Catholic | 7 |
| + 6 more games |
P.J. Rafford was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out eight over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Chase Ries and Josh Brown did most of the damage at the plate: Ries scored two runs while going 2-for-3, while Brown scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. That's the most runs Brown has posted since back in March. Joe Ferrance was another key player, scoring two runs while going 3-for-3.
Seton Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .548. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Apache Junction only posted an OBP of .222.
Meanwhile, Valley Christian had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.7 runs) and they went ahead and made it seven on Monday. They were the clear victors by a 24-2 margin over the Bears.
Devin Morganfield looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Brock Jackson, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, four runs, and five RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaxen Maxey, who scored three runs while going 2-for-2.
Valley Christian pushed their record up to 19-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.3 runs over those games. As for Seton Catholic, their record now sits at 16-7.
Tuesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Seton Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .450. However, it's not like Valley Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .482. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Seton Catholic couldn't quite get it done against Valley Christian in their previous matchup two weeks ago as they fell 4-0. Can the Sentinels avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
