The Duncan Wildkats will take on the Valley Union Blue Devils at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Duncan will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each contest than the last.
On Friday, Duncan made easy work of Patagonia and carried off a 13-4 victory. The Wildkats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by six runs or more this season.
Ethan Hernandez was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, three stolen bases, and two runs. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2025.
Pablo Ruiz
| 03/27/26 vs Patagonia | 6 |
| 03/04/26 @ San Carlos | 5 |
| 03/05/26 @ San Simon | 3 |
| 04/15/25 vs Valley Union | 2 |
| 04/08/25 vs Lordsburg | 2 |
In other batting news, Pablo Ruiz was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with six stolen bases and three runs. Those six stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Joe Nandino, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Duncan always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .568. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Valley Union scored first but ultimately less than Fort Thomas in their contest on Tuesday. They fell just short of the Apaches by a score of 7-5.
Myles Richardson and Yahir Luna did some serious damage despite the final result: Richardson went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, one triple, and one run, while Luna went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. Richardson has become a key player for Valley Union: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 2-4-1 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Zion Morre, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Valley Union now has a losing record of 4-5-1. As for Duncan, their win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-1.
Valley Union's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Duncan hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .489. It's a different story for Valley Union, though, as they've only averaged .243. Will they be able to contain Duncan's hitters?
Duncan came up short against Valley Union when the teams last played back in April of 2025, falling 5-2. Can the Wildkats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
