The Walden Grove Red Wolves will face off against the Sunnyside Blue Devils at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Walden Grove is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.
Walden Grove took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They came out on top against Ironwood Ridge by a score of 9-5.
Javy Lopez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered five runs (all of which were unearned) on five hits and racked up seven Ks.
Angel Armenta
| 04/21/25 @ Ironwood Ridge | 3 |
| 04/09/25 vs Mica Mountain | 3 |
| 02/26/25 vs Sabino | 3 |
| 04/23/25 vs Ironwood Ridge | 2 |
| 04/18/25 vs Eastmark | 2 |
| + 8 more games |
At the plate, Walden Grove let Vaughn Sexton and Angel Armenta run wild. Sexton went a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run, while Armenta went 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Armenta is becoming a predictor of Walden Grove's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 6-1 (and 6-9 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Marcus Baray, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Walden Grove was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .414. They are 7-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Sunnyside waltzed into their matchup on Tuesday with five straight wins... but they left with six. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Hawks an 8-0 shutout. Considering the Blue Devils have won eight games by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
DOMINIC THOMPSON looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Sunnyside got a massive performance out of EMRICK THOMPSON, who went 3-for-5 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most RBI THOMPSON has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of MICHEL MUNIZ, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two doubles, and one run.
Sunnyside's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-8. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Walden Grove, their win bumped their record up to 12-10.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Walden Grove has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .442. However, it's not like Sunnyside struggles in that department as they've averaged .436. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Walden Grove came out on top in a nail-biter against Sunnyside when the teams last played back in March of 2022, sneaking past 8-7. Will the Red Wolves repeat their success, or do the Blue Devils have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
