North Valleys is 0-10 against Douglas since April of 2015 but things could change on Saturday. A feisty cat fight will be fought as North Valleys Panthers duke it out with Douglas Tigers at 11:00 a.m. North Valleys will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
Last Tuesday, North Valleys made easy work of Dayton and carried off a 9-3 win. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matches by six runs or more this season.
Caden Birch
| 03/25/25 @ Dayton | 9 |
| 03/19/25 @ Sparks | 18 |
| 03/15/25 vs Elko | 5 |
Caden Birch made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Brooks Anderline was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Alejandro Urbina, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Douglas). They were the clear victors by a 15-6 margin over Damonte Ranch on Thursday. The Tigers not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since March 11th.
Like North Valleys, Douglas also got a great game from a two-way player: Grayson Kamper. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Kamper was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances. Those three runs gave him a new career-high.
In other pitching news, Titus Gocke looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off two hits. That's the fewest earned runs he has allowed over his last four contests.
Back at the plate, Jake Hoover was a standout: he scored three runs while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Aiden Tarlo also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
Douglas lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Damonte Ranch didn't launched any home runs.
North Valleys' victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-3. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Douglas, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-6.
North Valleys' speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's game. North Valleys has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Douglas, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will North Valleys continue to outrun the ball?
North Valleys might still be hurting after the 21-14 loss they got from Douglas in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can North Valleys avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
