Preview: Duncan Wildkats vs. Ray Bearcats
Duncan is 1-9 against Ray since April of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Duncan Wildkats will be playing at home against the Ray Bearcats at 3:45 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Duncan scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Friday. Everything went their way against Patagonia as Duncan made off with a 26-14 victory. The win was just what Duncan needed coming off of a 16-2 defeat in their prior contest.
Ruiz Pablo made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned run or hits. Pablo has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. Pablo was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of his six plate appearances.
In other batting news, Duncan let Ethan Hernandez and Sean Webb loose on the outfield. Hernandez scored three runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-5, while Webb scored six runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-5. Another player making a difference was Payton Bigler, who scored two runs while going 3-for-6.
Ray can finally bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Saturday. They walked away with a 13-10 victory over San Tan Foothills.
Mark Chester was a standout: he scored a run while going 3-for-4. Chris Curiel was another key contributor, going 2-for-5 with four RBI, a run, and a double.
Duncan's win bumped their record up to 3-7. As for Ray, their victory bumped their record up to 2-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Duncan has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ray struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.5 per game. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Duncan came up short against Ray in their previous meeting back in April of 2023, falling 10-5. Thankfully for Duncan, Isaac Dowler-Robles (who struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off eight hits (and not a single walk)) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
