The South Mountain Jaguars are taking a road trip to challenge the Gilbert Tigers at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. South Mountain is coming into the matchup on a four-game losing streak.
It was a proper cat-fight when South Mountain took on Glendale on Thursday. The Jaguars lost 18-8 to the Cardinals.
South Mountain saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Vashon Betoney, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run. Jorge Barraza also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Gilbert ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Mesquite 14-12. The Tigers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Gilbert also got a great performance from Jacinto Espinoza III as he tossed five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. The Tigers are 2-1 when Espinoza III allows one or fewer earned runs, but 1-2 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Wilfredo Aviles IV was incredible, getting on base in five of his six plate appearances with five runs and one triple. Those five runs gave him a new career-high. Tyler Silvestre was another key player, going 1-for-5 with four RBI and one run.
Gilbert kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
South Mountain's loss dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Gilbert, the victory got them back to even at 3-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. South Mountain has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Gilbert struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
South Mountain suffered a grim 26-2 defeat to Gilbert when the teams last played back in April of 2025. Can the Jaguars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
