Baseball Recap: Morenci Comes Up Short

Morenci extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to eight on Thursday, dropping them down to 0-7. They lost 15-4 to the Santa Cruz Valley Dust Devils. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Wildcats of the 12-2 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in March of 2025.

Morenci saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nathan Medina, who went 2-for-3 with one run.

As for Santa Cruz Valley, their win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.7 runs over those games.

On Santa Cruz Valley's side, Layne James and Nathan Ruiz made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, James pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Ruiz didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over four innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in February of 2025. At the plate, James got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs, while Ruiz went 3-for-4 with three runs and one double. Ruiz is on a roll when it comes to hits, as he's now got three or more in each of the last three games he's played.

In other batting news, Gabe Olveda was a standout: he went 3-for-5 with five RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Matthew Montijo was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Morenci will challenge St. Johns at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Santa Cruz Valley, they will square off against Phoenix Christian at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The Dust Devils' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Cougars have averaged an impressive 9.7 runs per game this season.