Baseball Recap: Safford Gets the Win

Safford had lost three straight, but after bumping their record up to 7-12 on Monday that streak is in the rearview. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Rio Rico Hawks, sneaking past 9-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bulldogs have posted since April 14, 2025.

The team relied heavily on Andrew Trujillo, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. He has become a key player for Safford: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least three RBI, but 5-11 otherwise. Caden Reno was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one home run.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Safford kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.

As for Rio Rico, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 14-13. Even worse, they were so close so many times: the losses came by an average of only 1.75 runs.

On Rio Rico's side, they got a good showing from Rudy Garavito, who pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Garavito has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Pedro Montano and Jesus Rodriguez did some serious damage despite the final result: Montano went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Humberto Picos, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.

Coming up, Safford will head out on the road to challenge Tanque Verde at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. As for Rio Rico, they will host Cholla at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Hawks' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Chargers have averaged an impressive 10.8 runs per game this season.