Cienega hasn't had much luck against Catalina Foothills recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Cienega Bobcats will be playing at home against the Catalina Foothills Falcons at 6:00 p.m. Cienega has given up an average of 9 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.
Cienega managed to slip by Salpointe Catholic the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. Cienega came up short against Salpointe Catholic on Tuesday, falling 16-5. The Bobcats just can't catch a break and have now endured three losses in a row.
Cienega saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was JAKE RIESGO, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double. PARKER SCHAGEL was another, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Catalina Foothills put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. They put the hurt on Canutillo with a sharp 13-2 victory. Fans of the Falcons have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
Paden Good made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits (and not a single walk). The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in strikeouts. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Catalina Foothills let Nate Shoemaker and Ethan McQuade run wild. Shoemaker scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4, while McQuade scored two runs while going 2-for-4. Those hits marked the first that McQuade got this season.
Catalina Foothills kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Catalina Foothills' win bumped their record up to 4-0. As for Cienega, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cienega has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Catalina Foothills struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Cienega suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Catalina Foothills in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Will Cienega have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
