For the first time this season, Valley Vista will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will look to defend their home field on Tuesday against the Apollo Hawks at 6:00 p.m. Valley Vista has given up an average of 7.1 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Things were looking good for Valley Vista after they put the first points on the board on Friday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They came up short against Highland, falling 13-5. That's two games in a row now that the Monsoon have lost by exactly eight runs.
Valley Vista got a good showing from Troy Morales, who tossed 3.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. What's more, Morales gave up only zero walks, the fewest he's had since back in March of 2024.
On the hitting side, Diego Munoz made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Adrian Montoya, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Apollo never let their opponents score on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over Copper Canyon. Considering the Hawks have won eight games by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Rey Garcia was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, Isaiah Mendoza was a standout: he scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-2. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since March 1st. Jesus Beltran was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Apollo kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive matches.
Apollo has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. Valley Vista now has a losing record of 6-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Valley Vista has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Apollo struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Valley Vista took their win against Apollo in their previous matchup back in February of 2020 by a conclusive 13-2. Does Valley Vista have another victory up their sleeve, or will Apollo turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
