The Kennedy Commanders will head out on the road to face off against the Manual Thunderbolts at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. Kennedy is coming into the match hot, having won their last four games.
On Wednesday, Kennedy beat Lincoln 7-4.
Eric Valenzuela made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up four earned runs off seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Dylan Nielsen
| 04/30/25 vs Lincoln | 2 |
| 04/29/25 @ Denver West | 1 |
| 04/26/25 vs Bruce Randolph | 1 |
| 04/23/25 @ Aurora Central | 1 |
| 04/16/25 vs DSST: Montview | 1 |
In other batting news, Dylan Nielsen was excellent, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base. Those two runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Damian Ortiz, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last contest, Manual made sure to put some runs up on the board against Jefferson on Thursday. The Thunderbolts put the hurt on the Saints with a sharp 15-0 win. Considering the Thunderbolts have won nine games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Kennedy, Manual also got a great game from a two-way player: Jake Carney. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Carney was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Edgar Salas, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. He has become a key player for Manual: the team is undefeated when he posts at least three RBI, but 6-7 otherwise. Jeremiah Myles was another key player, getting on base in both of his plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Manual was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .529. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Manual is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.5 runs over those games. As for Kennedy, they now have a winning record of 9-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Kennedy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Manual struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Kennedy came out on top in a nail-biter against Manual in their previous matchup back in April, sneaking past 15-14. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Commanders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
