The Tempe Prep Knights will square off against the Santa Cruz Valley Dust Devils at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Tempe Prep has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the matchup with three straight losses, while Santa Cruz Valley will come in with five straight wins.
Tempe Prep lost 12-3 to ALA - Mesa North on Friday.
Will Drescher was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Santa Cruz Valley made easy work of ALA - Anthem South on Wednesday and carried off a 21-1 victory. Considering the Dust Devils have won ten games by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Matthew Montijo was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Nathan Ruiz was a standout: he got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. That's the most RBI he has posted over his last 11 contests. Richard Reyes was another key player, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, four runs, and two RBI.
Santa Cruz Valley hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in five consecutive matchups.
Santa Cruz Valley's win bumped their record up to 18-4. As for Tempe Prep, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-13.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Tempe Prep has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .439. However, it's not like Santa Cruz Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .530. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
