The Valley Vista Monsoon will head out on the road to take on the Tolleson Wolverines at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.
On Thursday, Valley Vista didn't have quite enough to beat West Point and fell 4-3.
Valley Vista got a good showing from Alex Hewes, who pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Hewes has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Isreal Armenta made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double. Troy Morales was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Tolleson, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Apollo 4-3.
DIEGO SERNA tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over 5.1 innings pitched.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on SERGIO BLANCO, who scored a run while going 2-for-2. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March.
Tolleson has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-9-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.4 runs over those games. As for Valley Vista, they dropped their record down to 7-11 with the defeat, which was their fourth straight at home.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Valley Vista has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Tolleson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Valley Vista skirted past Tolleson 2-1 when the teams last played back in March of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Monsoon since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
