The Santa Cruz Valley Dust Devils will face off against the ALA - Anthem South Titans at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Santa Cruz Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.6 runs per game this season.
Santa Cruz Valley proved they can win big on Monday (they won by 18) and on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Benson, sneaking past 8-7. The Dust Devils haven't had any issues with the Bobcats recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Alyssa Flores spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and five unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Santa Cruz Valley saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Layla Brown, who scored two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Mariah Davis was another, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, ALA - Anthem South was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They lost 13-3 to Horizon Honors.
Santa Cruz Valley's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-6. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for ALA - Anthem South, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-9.
Wednesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Santa Cruz Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .499. However, it's not like ALA - Anthem South struggles in that department as they've averaged .547. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Santa Cruz Valley's way against ALA - Anthem South in their previous matchup back in March, as Santa Cruz Valley made off with a 19-0 victory. Will the Dust Devils repeat their success, or do the Titans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
