Cholla hasn't had much luck against Douglas recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Chargers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. Cholla will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, Cholla turned things around against Rio Rico on Thursday. They came out on top against the Hawks by a score of 8-3.
Ricardo Molina and Jesus Martinez made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Molina pitched five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Meanwhile, Martinez pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. At bat, Molina went 2-for-4 with two runs, while Martinez went 2-for-3 with four RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most hits Martinez has posted since back in March.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Raymond Molina, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run. Gregory Ortiz was another, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Douglas came tearing into Thursday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Panthers a 20-0 shutout. Considering the Bulldogs have won eight contests by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Cholla, Douglas also got a great game from a two-way player: Rafael Buzane. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Buzane 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 a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base and two RBI.
In other pitching news, Jose Ivan Higuera and Emiliano Fimbres dominated on the mound. Higuera went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI, while Fimbres went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Back at the plate, Christopher Escarcega was incredible, going 2-for-4 with four runs, one triple, and two RBI. He continues to improve, besting his previous run total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Andres Ortiz, who went 3-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Douglas always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .675. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Cholla's victory bumped their record up to 10-5. As for Douglas, their win bumped their record up to 13-8-1.
Cholla couldn't quite finish off Douglas when the teams last played back in April of 2024 and fell 8-6. Will the Chargers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
