The ALA - West Foothills Guardians will head out on the road to take on the River Valley Dust Devils at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with ALA - West Foothills sitting on six straight wins and River Valley on eight.
ALA - West Foothills is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Chino Valley 30-2 on Wednesday. The Guardians might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 16 contests by nine runs or more this season.
Ava LaHair made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going 4-for-5 with one home run, five RBI, and one triple. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2025.
Emerson Moody
| 04/22/26 @ Chino Valley | 5 |
| 03/24/26 @ Highland Prep | 3 |
| 03/11/26 vs Desert View | 3 |
| 03/06/26 vs Bourgade Catholic | 2 |
| 04/17/26 vs Benson | 1 |
In other batting news, ALA - West Foothills got a massive performance out of Emerson Moody, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with five RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those five hits gave Moody a new career-high. Peyton Reese also deserves some recognition as she launched her first home run of the season.
ALA - West Foothills hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, River Valley posted their closest victory since March 28, 2025 on Wednesday. They skirted past Winslow 5-3.
Sophia Reyes spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, Bella Navarro was excellent, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one double and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Tamarie Williams, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
ALA - West Foothills' record is now 19-5. As for River Valley, their record now sits at 13-7.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. ALA - West Foothills has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .557. However, it's not like River Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .572. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
ALA - West Foothills came out on top in a nail-biter against River Valley in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 4-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Guardians since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
