The Valor Christian Eagles will head out to square off against the Ralston Valley Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Valor Christian has given up an average of 6.7 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Valor Christian managed to slip by Bear Creek the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Eagles came up short against the Bears on Saturday, falling 15-8. The Eagles' defeat signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.
Ben Blasco and Will Hayes stepped up to the plate in a big way. Blasco went 3-for-5 with two runs and one double, while Hayes went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run. Cody Dean also deserves some recognition as he hit his first doubles of the season.
Meanwhile, Ralston Valley waltzed into their game on Saturday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They blew past the Rebels 15-3. That's two games straight that the Mustangs have won by exactly 12 runs.
Winston Patterson tossed a big game, striking out six batters over 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Cole Pfeifer was incredible, going 3-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. Bret Baldwin was another key player, going 3-for-4 with four runs, two RBI, and one double.
Ralston Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .524. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .524 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Ralston Valley's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-6. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.2 runs over those games. As for Valor Christian, their loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 5-1 and their overall record down to 7-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Valor Christian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ralston Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Valor Christian skirted past Ralston Valley 7-6 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
