vs
| 03/07/25 - Home | 3-2 W |
| 05/18/24 - Away | 5-8 L |
| 05/16/24 - Away | 3-6 L |
| 03/20/24 - Away | 14-1 W |
| 03/11/24 - Away | 1-15 L |
| + 5 more games |
Silverado and Durango are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2022, but likely not for long. The Skyhawks will challenge the Trailblazers at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Silverado sitting on five straight victories and Durango on 17.
Silverado is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They put the hurt on Rancho with a sharp 12-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Skyhawks, who have now won 13 matches by six runs or more so far this season.
The team relied heavily on Hogan Hawkins, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Kanoa Wolfgang, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Silverado kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Durango faced Sierra Vista in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Trailblazers skirted past the Mountain Lions 7-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Trailblazers have posted since March 26th.
Luke Desoto and Alexander Mercurius were major factors while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Desoto tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Mercurius struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. At the plate, Desoto went 3-for-5 with one run and one RBI, while Mercurius got on base in five of his seven plate appearances with one home run and one double. Those three hits gave Desoto a new career-high.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Teagan Payne, who went 2-for-7 with two runs and one stolen base.
Durango pushed their record up to 25-6 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Silverado, their win bumped their record up to 19-8.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Silverado has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .452. However, it's not like Durango struggles in that department as they've averaged .478. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Silverado came out on top in a nail-biter against Durango in their previous meeting back in March, sneaking past 3-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Skyhawks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
