The ALA - West Foothills Guardians are taking a road trip to take on the River Valley Dust Devils at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
River Valley will be up against a hot ALA - West Foothills squad: the team just extended their winning streak to five. ALA - West Foothills was the clear victor by a 14-1 margin over Highland Prep on Tuesday.
Savanna Urias was a major factor no matter where she played. She tossed 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest hits she has allowed since back in February. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, ALA - West Foothills got a massive performance out of Sammy Kirby, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two triples, two runs, and one double. Those two triples gave Kirby a new career-high. Victoria Rauzan was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two triples, two runs, and one RBI.
ALA - West Foothills was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .483. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Highland Prep only posted a batting average of .222.
Meanwhile, River Valley entered their tilt with Chino Valley on Tuesday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They never let the Cougars get on the board and left with a 15-0 win. That looming 15-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Dust Devils yet this season.
Like ALA - West Foothills, River Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Sophia Reyes. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. Reyes has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two triples, three runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Morgan MacDonald and Tamarie Williams did most of the damage at the plate: MacDonald went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, one triple, and one stolen base, while Williams went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple marked the first that MacDonald hit this season. Another player making a difference was Lovie Phan, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
ALA - West Foothills' victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-4. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.3 runs over those games. As for River Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 8-3-1.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. ALA - West Foothills has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .519. However, it's not like River Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .507. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went ALA - West Foothills' way against River Valley in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as ALA - West Foothills made off with a 10-3 win. Does ALA - West Foothills have another victory up their sleeve, or will River Valley turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
