The Benbrook Bobcats will venture away from home to square off against the Iowa Park Hawks at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Benbrook is coming into the game hot, having won their last six games.
Last Saturday, Benbrook was able to grind out a solid victory over Memorial, taking the game 4-1.
Sebastian Martinez made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Benbrook let Ethan Smith and Tanner Madara run wild. Smith scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Madara scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Iowa Park suffered their closest loss since March 6th on Friday. They fell just short of Jacksboro by a score of 3-1. The Hawks have struggled against the Tigers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meeting.
AJ Ramirez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on six hits and racked up 12 Ks.
At the plate, Iowa Park saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kane Decker, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. CJ McNeill also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Benbrook's win was their 13th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-4. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Iowa Park, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-7.
Iowa Park's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Benbrook hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. It's a different story for Iowa Park, though, as they've only averaged .250. Will they be able to contain Benbrook's hitters?
Benbrook might still be hurting after the 9-3 loss they got from Iowa Park when the teams last played back in May of 2021. Can the Bobcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
