Estrella Foothills is 7-1 against Deer Valley since March of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. Estrella Foothills will face off against Deer Valley at 3:45 p.m. Estrella Foothills' pitching crew has only allowed 3.9 runs per game this season, so Deer Valley's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Estrella Foothills fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Cibola on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Raiders by a score of 3-2. Having soared to a lofty 15 runs in the game before, the Wolves couldn't push the score so high this time.
Devin Kriley
| 03/28/25 @ Cibola | 3 |
| 03/20/25 @ Westview | 2 |
| 03/04/25 @ Eastmark | 2 |
| 03/15/24 vs Williams | 2 |
| 03/27/25 vs Peoria | 1 |
Devin Kriley was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, he struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
Kriley wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Tanner Medina, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last match, Deer Valley made sure to put some runs up on the board against Westview on Thursday. Deer Valley put the hurt on Westview with a sharp 16-1 victory. The win continues a trend for the Skyhawks in their matchups with the Knights: they've now won four in a row.
Owen Boyer looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Max Weaver, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. He has become a key player for Deer Valley: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 4-7-1 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Hunter Metz, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2.
Deer Valley hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Estrella Foothills moved to 6-5 with that defeat, which also ended their four-game winning streak. As for Deer Valley, their record now sits at 7-8-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Estrella Foothills has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Deer Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Estrella Foothills took their victory against Deer Valley in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 13-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Estrella Foothills since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
