Baseball Preview: Flagstaff Eagles vs. Coconino Panthers
Flagstaff has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will take on the Coconino Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Flagstaff will be hoping to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each contest than the last.
Flagstaff is hoping to deliver their fans another blowout on Monday, just like they did against Cactus (and have done all season long). Flagstaff put the hurt on Cactus with a sharp 11-1 win on Saturday.
Jace Adams looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits.
On the hitting side, Flagstaff let Luke Hewes and Will Carpenter loose on the outfield. Hewes went 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Carpenter scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Jake Carpenter, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Coconino came up short against Mingus on Friday and fell 20-15. Coconino has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Coconino also got a good showing from Frankie Avila, who tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits.
At the plate, Hayden Mickelson stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: he fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Ryker Patten, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles.
Even though they lost, Coconino was hitting in the alleys and finished the game with six doubles. That's the most doubles they've managed all season.
Flagstaff is on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 13 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 21-5 record this season. As for Coconino, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 15-9.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Flagstaff has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .464. However, it's not like Coconino struggles in that department as they've averaged .434. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Flagstaff beat Coconino 5-2 when the teams last played on Thursday. The rematch might be a little tougher for Flagstaff since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
