The River Valley Dust Devils will take on the Valley Christian Trojans on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (River Valley 3.8, Valley Christian 2.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
River Valley is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top against ALA - West Foothills by a score of 5-2. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Dust Devils.
The team relied heavily on Zain Bruton, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. That double marked the first that he has hit this season.
Meanwhile, Valley Christian came tearing into Tuesday's game with 13 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Longhorns a 13-0 shutout. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 19 matchups by six runs or more this season.
Cameron Bergloff made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in ten consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Devin Morganfield looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Caleb Danzeisen was incredible, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-3. Those two home runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Brock Jackson, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Valley Christian hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in 13 consecutive contests.
Valley Christian pushed their record up to 26-2 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.4 runs over those games. As for River Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 16-6-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. River Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Valley Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
River Valley suffered a grim 11-5 defeat to Valley Christian in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. Can the Dust Devils avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
