Safford had lost four straight on the road, but on Thursday they dropped down to 7-13 to make it five. They lost 12-4 to the Tanque Verde Hawks. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Bulldogs of the 8-3 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in April of 2025.
| 03/24/26 vs Rincon/University | 4 |
| 04/16/26 @ Tanque Verde | 3 |
| 04/13/26 vs Rio Rico | 3 |
| 03/20/26 vs Alchesay | 3 |
| 03/31/26 vs Sabino | 2 |
| + 5 more games |
Osvaldo Estrada and Easton Ballejos stepped up to the plate in a big way. Estrada went 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI, while Ballejos went 2-for-4 with one triple and one run. Estrada has become a key player for Safford: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least three hits, but 4-12 otherwise.
As for Tanque Verde, the win (which was their eighth in a row) raised their record to 16-4-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games.
On Tanque Verde's side, Landon Walker and Santino Celani made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Walker pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off seven hits. Meanwhile, Celani didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Walker has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, Walker fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 3-for-3, while Celani went 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one run. That's the most hits Celani has posted since back in February.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rocco Haggard, who fired off two home runs, five RBI, and one double while going 3-for-4. Those two home runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Braden Guest, who went 1-for-4 with one triple and two RBI.
Looking ahead, Safford will challenge Pusch Ridge Christian Academy at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. As for Tanque Verde, they will take on Chandler Prep at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Hawks' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Titans have averaged an impressive 8.7 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
