If Tempe was feeling good fresh off their 19-6 takedown of Desert Sunrise on Thursday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Buffaloes fell just short of the Yuma Criminals by a score of 9-7 on Monday. The Buffaloes were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Criminals apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in April of 2025.
Hiliana Valencia spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and five unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, Celeste Alvarez and Aubrey Duran did some serious damage despite the final result: Alvarez went 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI, while Duran went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI. Kandice Chavez was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI.
Buffaloes
| 04/20/26 vs Yuma | 7-9 |
| 04/16/26 vs Desert Sunrise | 19-6 |
| 04/14/26 @ Desert Sunrise | 33-18 |
| 04/09/26 vs Coronado | 21-5 |
| 04/08/26 vs Combs | 4-23 |
Tempe moved to 11-7 with that defeat, which also ended their three-game winning streak. As for Yuma, their win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-8.
The teams didn't have to wait long for a rematch: the Criminals beat Tempe by a score of 20-19 on Wednesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
