Apple Valley is 8-2 against Serrano since April of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Sun Devils will look to defend their home field against the Diamondbacks at 3:15 p.m. The matchup will give Apple Valley their first taste of in-conference action this season.
Apple Valley came out on top against Granite Hills on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run sixth inning. The Sun Devils had just enough and edged out the Cougars 4-3. The victory continues a trend for the Sun Devils in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won five in a row.
Benji Avila
| 02/20/26 @ Chaparral | 3 |
| 03/10/26 @ Granite Hills | 1 |
| 03/07/26 vs Barstow | 1 |
| 03/03/26 vs Victor Valley | 1 |
| 02/27/26 @ Desert Hot Springs | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
Benji Avila looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Apple Valley is 4-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 2-4 otherwise.
At the plate, Apple Valley saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jaden Padilla, who went 2-for-4 with one run and one double. AJ Fayloga also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Serrano made easy work of Silverado on Tuesday and carried off an 11-3 win. Considering the Diamondbacks have won three contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Scott Ebeling was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. Ebeling was even better at the plate, going 4-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Steven Amaya was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two triples and three runs. Those two triples gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Aidan Brambila, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
Serrano was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .345 or higher in four consecutive games.
Apple Valley now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Serrano, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Apple Valley got the 'W' when the teams last played back in April of 2025 against Serrano by a conclusive 23-2 score. Will the Sun Devils repeat their success, or do the Diamondbacks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
