Santa Cruz Valley hasn't had much luck against Phoenix Christian recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Dust Devils will look to defend their home field against the Cougars at 12:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Phoenix Christian will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Santa Cruz Valley extended their winning streak to four on Thursday. The Dust Devils put the hurt on Morenci with a sharp 15-4 win.
Layne James and Nathan Ruiz made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, James tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Ruiz didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over four innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in February of 2025. At bat, James got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs, while Ruiz went 3-for-4 with three runs and one double. Santa Cruz Valley is undefeated when Ruiz posts two or more runs, but 1-2 otherwise.
Gabe Olveda
| 03/12/26 @ Morenci | 5 |
| 03/27/25 @ Lincoln Prep | 2 |
| 03/24/25 @ Gilbert Classical Academy | 2 |
| 02/28/25 vs Wickenburg | 2 |
| 03/02/26 @ San Miguel | 1 |
In other batting news, Gabe Olveda was a standout: he went 3-for-5 with five RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Matthew Montijo, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Santa Cruz Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Phoenix Christian). Everything went their way against Arizona Lutheran Academy last Thursday as they made off with a 21-5 victory. The win continues a trend for the Cougars in their matchups with the Coyotes: they've now won nine in a row.
Jude House and Nate Burton did most of the damage at the plate: House went a perfect 4-for-4 with four doubles, three RBI, and one run, while Burton went 3-for-4 with three doubles, four RBI, and one run. Timmy Randolph was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Santa Cruz Valley's victory bumped their record up to 5-2. As for Phoenix Christian, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Saturday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Santa Cruz Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .371. However, it's not like Phoenix Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .358. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Santa Cruz Valley suffered a grim 20-0 defeat to Phoenix Christian when the teams last played back in April of 2021. Will the Dust Devils have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
