Phoenix Christian is a perfect 3-0 against Fountain Hills since February of 2020 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Cougars will head out to square off against the Falcons at 3:45 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Phoenix Christian's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They blew past Madison Highland Prep 19-0. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Cougars.
Jo Jo Alvarado made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. Alvarado was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Evan Matthews
| 04/22/25 vs Madison Highland Prep | 3 |
| 04/18/25 @ Camp Verde | 2 |
| 04/16/25 @ Scottsdale Christian Academy | 1 |
| 04/14/25 vs Camp Verde | 1 |
| 04/12/25 vs Round Valley | 1 |
| + 7 more games |
In other batting news, Evan Matthews was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Nate Burton, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Phoenix Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .697. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Madison Highland Prep only posted an OBP of .385.
Meanwhile, Fountain Hills entered their tilt with Red Rock on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They put the hurt on the Scorpions with a sharp 19-1 win.
Like Phoenix Christian, Fountain Hills also got a great game from a two-way player: Lucas Grieco. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Grieco was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Fountain Hills let Kainoa Brilhante and Eli Johnson run wild. Brilhante went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Johnson went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Johnson is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Mike Fitzherbert, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs.
Phoenix Christian's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.1 runs on average over those games. As for Fountain Hills, their victory bumped their record up to 12-6-1.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Phoenix Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .375. However, it's not like Fountain Hills struggles in that department as they've averaged .366. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Phoenix Christian skirted past Fountain Hills 4-3 in their previous matchup on April 1st. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
