The Page Sand Devils will head out to challenge the Round Valley Elks at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Round Valley will be up against a hot Page team: the squad just extended their winning streak to six. Everything went the Sand Devils' way against Tuba City on Wednesday as they made off with an 11-5 victory.
Leah Bigthumb made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Makenna Nez, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and two runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. Shanelle Tallsalt was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Page was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .519. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .414 or higher in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, while Round Valley put up plenty of runs on Wednesday, the same can't be said for Many Farms. The Elks blew past the Lobos 23-0. Winning may never get old, but the Elks sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Like Page, Round Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Carla Arreola. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Arreola was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That stolen base was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Round Valley got a massive performance out of Kelci Walker, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Taizly Newman, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Page's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-8. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Round Valley, their record now sits at 13-6.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Page hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .415. However, it's not like Round Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .408. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
