Fountain Hills hasn't had much luck against Phoenix Christian recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Falcons will welcome the Cougars at 3:45 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Phoenix Christian will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Fountain Hills extended their winning streak to three on Tuesday. The Falcons put the hurt on Red Rock with a sharp 19-1 victory.
Lucas Grieco made a splash while hitting and pitching. He pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Grieco was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Fountain Hills let Kainoa Brilhante and Eli Johnson run wild. Brilhante went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Johnson went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most runs Brilhante has posted since back in March of 2024. Mike Fitzherbert was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs.
Fountain Hills kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Christian never let their opponents score on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Madison Highland Prep as they made off with a 19-0 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Cougars.
Jo Jo Alvarado made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over four innings pitched. Alvarado was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Evan Matthews, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Nate Burton, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Phoenix Christian's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.1 runs on average over those games. As for Fountain Hills, their victory bumped their record up to 12-6-1.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Fountain Hills has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .502. However, it's not like Phoenix Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .521. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
