Dust Devils
| 03/18/25 vs Camp Verde | 10 |
| 03/14/25 vs Coolidge | 8 |
| 03/05/25 vs Round Valley | 4 |
| 02/27/25 vs San Manuel | 18 |
The Santa Cruz Valley Dust Devils will take on the Benson Bobcats in a tournament on Friday. Santa Cruz Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10 runs per game this season.
Santa Cruz Valley had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt Camp Verde on Tuesday. Santa Cruz Valley never let Camp Verde get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory.
The result came thanks to Alyssa Flores's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Mikayla Leos, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4. She also hit a double, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Tatiyana Reyes, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Benson was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They came up short against Horizon Honors, falling 17-2.
Benson saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kaylei Taylor, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Santa Cruz Valley's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Benson, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-6.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Santa Cruz Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .374. However, it's not like Benson struggles in that department as they've averaged .316. 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 Benson in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Santa Cruz Valley made off with a 15-4 victory. Will Santa Cruz Valley repeat their success, or does Benson have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
