Williams Field dropped to 15-8 on Thursday, ending the team's three-game streak of wins on the road. They fell just short of the Queen Creek Bulldogs by a score of 8-7. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Bulldogs this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 5-2 on Monday.
JJ Utash was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He tossed four innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits. Utash was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
In other batting news, Larson Accardo made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with two runs and one double. Asher Landry was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
As for Queen Creek, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 12 of their last 13 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 21-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games.
Like Williams Field, Queen Creek also got a great game from a two-way player: Frank Gearhart. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Gearhart has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Jet Berry was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Manny Hoyos, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Williams Field didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next contest, a 6-4 loss against Red Mountain on the 17th. As for Queen Creek, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next game, an 8-5 victory against Desert Ridge on the 21st.
