Marana and Sunnyside are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2019, but likely not for long. The Tigers will square off against the Blue Devils at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Marana barely beat Rincon/University the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Tigers put the hurt on the Rangers with a sharp 13-3 win on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Tigers have posted against the Rangers since April 10, 2023.
Rilee Dewey made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four). He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles.
Breyson Ellis
| 03/31/26 @ Rincon/University | 7 |
| 03/20/26 vs Pusch Ridge Christian Academy | 3 |
| 03/16/26 vs Walden Grove | 2 |
| 03/02/26 @ San Luis | 2 |
| 03/19/25 vs Frederick | 2 |
In other pitching news, Breyson Ellis looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
Back at the plate, Marana got a big performance out of Emmit Lee, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. Those two stolen bases gave Lee a new career-high. Elijah Raney also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Marana hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Rincon/University struck out 11 times.
Meanwhile, Sunnyside hadn't done well against Cienega recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Blue Devils were the clear victors by a 14-8 margin over the Bobcats.
EMRICK THOMPSON made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has become a key player for Sunnyside: the team is 5-2 when he allows at most two hits, but 4-7 otherwise. THOMPSON was also big at the plate, going 1-for-5 with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on PIERCE CASTRO, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three RBI. He also scored two runs, which is notable because Sunnyside is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 6-9 otherwise. Another player making a difference was DIEGO GARCIA, who went 4-for-5 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Marana's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 5-11-1. As for Sunnyside, the victory got them back to even at 9-9.
Marana suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to Sunnyside in their previous matchup back in April of 2025. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
