The Casa Grande Cougars will be taking part in a tournament against the ALA - Queen Creek Patriots at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Casa Grande took care of business in their home opener (and then some) on Wednesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand McClintock a 13-0 shutout. The win was some much needed relief for the Cougars as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Matt Villa was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. Villa was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Cole Rice was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Boston Valdez, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.
Casa Grande always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as McClintock only posted an OBP of .211.
Meanwhile, ALA - Queen Creek had to kick off their season on the road on Wednesday, but they showed no ill effects. They were the clear victor by a 21-0 margin over Maricopa.
Like Casa Grande, ALA - Queen Creek also got a great game from a two-way player: Brasser Crumpton. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. What's more, Crumpton gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in March of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-3. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (three).
In other batting news, Seth Nielson was incredible, firing off four runs, three doubles, and four RBI while going 5-for-5. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024. Juan Pablo Altamirano was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4.
