The Westview Knights will square off against the Crismon Rattlers at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Westview comes in on three and Crismon on four.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Westview and Copper Canyon meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Monday. Westview came out on top against Copper Canyon by a score of 7-4.
Justin Marquez was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Jordan Perez, who scored a run while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Crismon). Their pitcher stepped up to hand Tempe a 25-0 shutout last Monday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Rattlers with their most commanding win of the season.
Kenny Wilsford made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Furthermore, he didn't allow a single earned run, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in March of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing Two bases. while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aaden Lopez, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with four runs, one triple, and two RBI. Crismon is undefeated when Lopez posts two or more runs, but 1-2 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Diego Hernandez, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3.
Crismon always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .714. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Crismon's victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Westview, their win bumped their record up to 4-2.
Westview's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's matchup. Westview has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Crismon, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Westview continue to outrun the ball? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
