The Arbor View Aggies will challenge the Liberty Patriots at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Arbor View is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against Coronado on Friday as they made off with a 15-1 win. The Aggies might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by seven runs or more this season.
Colton Christman was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Devin Martin was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one double.
Arbor View hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Liberty faced Green Valley in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Patriots walked away with a 5-2 victory over the Gators. The win was familiar territory for the Patriots, who have now won three matchups in a row.
Nicholas Blakeney made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one run and one double.
In other pitching news, Shawn Mack tossed a big game, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits (and only one walk).
Back at the plate, Austin Rodriguez was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
Arbor View is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.8 runs over those games. As for Liberty, they pushed their record up to 18-10 with the win, which was their third straight on the road.
Arbor View couldn't quite get it done against Liberty when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 8-4. Can the Aggies avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
