Buena is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Nogales is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. Buena will welcome Nogales at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Buena made easy work of Mountain View and carried off a 13-2 victory. That's two games straight that the Colts have won by exactly 11 runs.
Branden Brown
| 03/28/25 vs Mountain View | 7 |
| 02/26/25 vs Sahuaro | 5 |
| 04/19/24 vs Ironwood Ridge | 3 |
| 03/21/25 vs Sunnyside | 1 |
| 03/04/25 @ Ironwood Ridge | 1 |
Branden Brown made a splash while hitting and pitching. He struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Nathan Whitworth was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March of 2024. Austin Cushman was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-4.
Buena always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mountain View only posted an OBP of .385.
Meanwhile, Nogales got the win against Tucson High Magnet School on Friday by a conclusive 10-4.
Like Buena, Nogales also got a great game from a two-way player: Denzel Montijo. On the mound, he struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off eight hits. The dominant performance also gave Montijo a new career-low in walks (two). He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Andres Lopez, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one run. That run marked the first that he scored this season. Another player making a difference was Sammy Herrera, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Nogales is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-4-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. Buena's victory bumped their record up to 11-5.
Tuesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Buena has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .431. However, it's not like Nogales struggles in that department as they've averaged .453. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Buena couldn't quite get it done against Nogales in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 as they fell 10-6. Can Buena avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
