Baseball Game Preview: Independence Patriots vs. Ironwood Eagles

The Independence Patriots will head out on the road to take on the Ironwood Eagles at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. Independence has given up an average of 7.8 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.

Independence came up short against Maryvale on Thursday, falling 19-6. The Patriots have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, Ironwood was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their sixth straight defeat. They took a 5-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of North Canyon.

Lane Stilwell was huge no matter where he played even without the win. On the mound, he struck out six batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). That's the first time he hasn't allowed a single hit since back in March of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, one double, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in February of 2024.

Independence now has a losing record of 2-3. As for Ironwood, their loss dropped their record down to 1-7.