The Valley Christian Trojan softball team is off to a blazing start in region play, improving to 5-0 after a trio of dominant wins in the past week. Behind explosive offense, lights-out pitching, and airtight defense, the Trojans are making it clear they're contenders for the region title.

Valley Christian opened the streak with a jaw-dropping 28-0 win over Apache Junction High School on Friday, highlighted by Sophie Kercsmar's historic performance. The junior slugger hit for the cycle, going 4-4 with a home run, triple, double, a single and a walk. She collected 8 RBIs in the performance.

The Trojans set the tone early, putting up 13 runs in the first inning. Contributions came from up and down the lineup: Ryann Nelson, Leigha Kremlacek, Libby Juist, Sisi Kercsmar, Addi Ballantyne, and Makay Fraley all helped blow the game open early. Sophie Kercsmar capped off the inning with a three-run shot to left field.

Valley Christian never let up on the Prospectors, finishing with 20 total hits and 28 runs. Kenzie Maret, Taya Clausen, and MiriLou Diffey added key hits, and the team stole six bases while playing flawless defense. Kremlacek was up first in the Trojans pitching rotation throwing three hitless innings. Clausen and Maret also combined with Kremlacek for the shutout on the mound, holding AJHS hitless through five innings. Maret had her first high school appearance on the mound during the game, singlehandedly fielding every out of the inning as a freshman.

The Trojans kept the momentum going Wednesday with a 21-0 win over Gilbert Christian in two and a half innings. The offense exploded for 16 runs in the first inning, led by the bottom of the lineup – Libby Juist, Taya Clausen, and Leigha Kremlacek – who combined for five hits, eight runs, and six RBIs.

Abrielle Jarles launched a two-run homer, and Makay Fraley added an inside-the-park three-run shot. The Trojans drew 12 walks, three of which were intentional, stole 12 bases, and once again played clean defense.

Fraley's turn in the rotation proved to be nothing short of perfect. She was untouchable in the circle, striking out nine over three no-hit innings – including an immaculate second inning where she struck out the side on nine pitches.

Thursday's matchup against Florence brought a more competitive atmosphere, but Valley Christian stayed perfect in region play with a 4-0 win behind senior Taya Clausen – the final weapon in the Trojans pitching arsenal. She struck out 16, allowed just one hit, and walked only two in a complete-game shutout.

Abrielle Jarles jump-started the offense with a solo homer in the second inning, effectively racking up her fifth of the season. Addi Ballantyne added a sacrifice fly and Ryann Nelson drove in another with a single in the third. Nelson led the way at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Rodgers also had a multi-hit game. The Trojans stayed patient with seven walks and added five stolen bases to their season tally.

Now sitting at 5-0 in region play, the Valley Christian Trojans are rolling with no signs of slowing down. With contributions from the entire roster and stellar performances across the board, they've firmly planted themselves atop the region standings and look poised for a deep postseason run.

Stay tuned – this team is just getting started.