Valley Vista is preparing for their first region matchup of the season on Tuesday. They will head out to square off against the Apollo Hawks at 3:45 p.m. Valley Vista is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
Valley Vista gave up the first runs last Wednesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over Prospect Ridge Academy. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Monsoon.
Valley Vista got a great performance from Braden Johnson as he struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits.
Troy Morales
| 03/25/26 vs Prospect Ridge Academy | 4 |
| 03/24/26 @ South Mountain | 3 |
| 03/05/26 vs Mesa | 2 |
| 03/02/26 @ Gila Ridge | 2 |
| 02/25/26 @ Desert Ridge | 2 |
At the plate, Troy Morales was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Miguel Herrera also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Valley Vista was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Apollo won against Highland on Wednesday with five runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Monday. The Hawks came out on top in a nail-biter against San Luis, sneaking past 5-4.
Apollo saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kolby Hayward, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one double. Another was Abraham Valencia, who went 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Valley Vista's record now sits at 6-8. As for Apollo, their record is now 10-5.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Valley Vista has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .442. However, it's not like Apollo struggles in that department as they've averaged .449. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Valley Vista suffered a grim 8-0 defeat to Apollo in their previous meeting back in April of 2025. Can the Monsoon avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
