Baseball Preview: Zuni Thunderbirds vs. Hot Springs Tigers
After five games on the road, Zuni is heading back home. They will take on the Hot Springs Tigers at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Zuni will be strutting in after a win while Hot Springs will be coming in after a defeat.
Last Tuesday, Zuni got the win against Wingate by a conclusive 8-2.
Tommy Boone looked comfortable as he tossed an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks).
At the plate, Zuni let Terrance Smith and Keanu Laweka loose on the outfield. Smith scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances, while Laweka scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-3. Laweka has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last seven times he's played. Another player making a difference was Kyle Soseeah, who scored a run and stole two bases.
Meanwhile, Hot Springs was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They fell just short of Grady by a score of 13-11. Even though they lost, Hot Springs' still made a splash at the plate and bumped their average scoring up to 6.5 runs per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).
Max Legarda stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: he went 2-for-4 with four RBI, a run, and a double. Brandon Baca was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-4.
Even though they lost, Hot Springs didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 12 strikeouts. That's the most strikeouts they've managed all season.
Zuni has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a massive bump to their 7-7 record this season. As for Hot Springs, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-6.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Zuni has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .610. However, it's not like Hot Springs struggles in that department as they've averaged .441. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
