The Deer Valley Skyhawks will face off against the Paradise Honors Panthers at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Deer Valley needed a bit of extra time to put away Greenway. They came out on top against the Demons by a score of 5-2.
Carter Reitz looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single walk, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, Deer Valley's victory was truly a team effort as seven different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Jackson Fellens, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. Tyler Carr also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen bases of the season.
Meanwhile, Paradise Honors put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They were the clear victor by a 15-9 margin over Coconino. Paradise Honors might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matches by six runs or more this season.
Michael Nicolini Jr. made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Nicolini Jr. was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Noah Rodriguez, who scored three runs while going 3-for-5. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Kade Ashton, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Paradise Honors hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts every time they've taken the field this season.
Deer Valley's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-3-1. As for Paradise Honors, their victory bumped their record up to 5-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Deer Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Paradise Honors struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Deer Valley skirted past Paradise Honors 4-3 when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Will Deer Valley repeat their success, or does Paradise Honors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
