Kellis extended their losing streak to 14 on Thursday, dropping them down to 4-18. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 6-5 heartbreaker at the hands of the Ironwood Eagles. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Eagles this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 17-2 back in March.
Diego Banda was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That home run was his first of the season. Dylan Giddens was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
As for Ironwood, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 13-12. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory they have posted since March 3rd.
On Ironwood's side, Ricardo Soto Diaz was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run over 4.2 innings pitched. What's more, Soto Diaz posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Jonathan Ostrom was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. He has become a key player for Ironwood: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 6-12 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Brice Coleman, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Kellis will welcome Westview at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. As for Ironwood, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Paradise Valley at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The Eagles' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Trojans have averaged an impressive 6.6 runs per game this season.
