The Denver Academy Mustangs will square off against the Lyons Lions at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Denver Academy's hitters haven't had much luck over their past three contests, but Thursday's matchup will give them a chance to turn things around.
Denver Academy came up short against SkyView Academy on Wednesday, falling 26-2.
Denver Academy saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brendan King, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Lyons fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Estes Park on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Bobcats by a score of 8-6. Surprisingly, this marked the Lions' sixth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Jake LaCrosse put in work no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Lyons is 4-2 when he allows at most one walk, but 3-6 otherwise. LaCrosse was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-6 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Calvin Russell made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with one RBI. Another player making a difference was Henry Lynch, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs.
Lyons now has a losing record of 7-8. As for Denver Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 3-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Denver Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Lyons struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 10.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Denver Academy might still be hurting after the 16-4 defeat they got from Lyons when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Can the Mustangs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
