The Desert Vista Thunder will venture away from home to take on the Casteel Colts at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Desert Vista 3.3, Casteel 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
While Desert Vista's victory against Skyline wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. Desert Vista's pitcher stepped up to hand Skyline a 2-0 shutout on Monday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Thunder have posted since April 27, 2024.
Not much got past Cole Gomez, who gave up just a hit and racked up 14 Ks to keep Skyline off the board. What's more, Gomez gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in February.
On the hitting side, Desert Vista saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Anthony Renda, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Casteel ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Chandler 9-8. The win was nothing new for the Colts as they're now sitting on four straight.
Ryan Harwood was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Casteel let Jose Bingochea and Ryne Barker run wild. Bingochea went 1-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one RBI, while Barker scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. That's the most stolen bases Barker has posted since back in April of 2024.
Casteel's victory was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-3. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.4 runs over those games. As for Desert Vista, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-4 record this season.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Desert Vista hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .351. However, it's not like Casteel struggles in that department as they've averaged .334. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
