River Valley has won four straight games at home, while Tonopah Valley has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Dust Devils will welcome the Phoenix at 3:45 p.m. Tonopah Valley took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on River Valley, who comes in off a win.
River Valley's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Highland Prep with a sharp 16-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Dust Devils, who have now won five matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Aiden Parker was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Parker was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-2. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season.
In other pitching news, Brian Venegas looked comfortable as he struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
Back at the plate, Mickey Smith was a standout: he scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Kai Cornell was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI.
River Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .690. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Tonopah Valley came up short against Kingman on Tuesday, falling 10-1. The Phoenix have struggled against the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
River Valley has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-4-2 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.1 runs over those games. As for Tonopah Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-6-1.
Everything went River Valley's way against Tonopah Valley when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as River Valley made off with a 12-2 victory. Will the Dust Devils repeat their success, or do the Phoenix have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
