Baseball Game Preview: Hanks Knights vs. Tornillo Coyotes

The Hanks Knights will take on the Tornillo Coyotes in a tournament on Thursday. Hanks has given up an average of 7.2 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.

Hanks will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Saturday, then bounced right back against Chapin on Tuesday. Hanks walked away with a 15-11 win over Chapin. The Knights' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.

Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous three contests, Tornillo brought some dynamite into their most recent contest. They blew past Irvin 13-3 on Tuesday. The Coyotes not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since April 23, 2024.

Jeter Luna was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in May of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024.

In other batting news, Josue Chuca was a standout: he scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Isaac Varela, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.

The victory made it two in a row for Hanks and bumps their season record up to 3-8. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Tornillo, they moved to 2-7 with that win, which also ended their four-game losing streak.

Everything went Hanks' way against Tornillo in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, as Hanks made off with a 10-1 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hanks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.