The Deer Valley Skyhawks will challenge the Flagstaff Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Deer Valley sitting on 13 straight victories and Flagstaff on six.
Deer Valley is returning to their home field after beating Sahuarita on theirs, despite the fact Sahuarita has dominated at home this season. The Skyhawks skirted past the Mustangs 4-2.
Gaven McDonald
| 05/03/25 @ Sahuarita | 1 |
| 04/30/25 vs Lee Williams | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Peoria | 1 |
| 04/10/25 vs Cactus | 0 |
Gaven McDonald spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on eight hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Tyler Carr was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one home run. Hunter Short was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Flagstaff came out on top against Prescott on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run sixth inning. The Eagles won by a run and slipped past the Badgers 7-6.
The team relied heavily on Will Carpenter, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs. Another player making a difference was Christian Welker, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Flagstaff kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 12-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Deer Valley's win was their eighth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 19-8-1. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.9 runs on average over those games. As for Flagstaff, their win bumped their record up to 20-9.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Deer Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .464. However, it's not like Flagstaff struggles in that department as they've averaged .458. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Deer Valley couldn't quite finish off Flagstaff when the teams last played back in March and fell 4-2. Can the Skyhawks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
