The Montezuma-Cortez Panthers will venture away from home to square off against the Monte Vista Pirates at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Montezuma-Cortez came out on top against Alamosa on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run second inning. The Panthers put the hurt on the Mean Moose with a sharp 14-2 victory. 14 seems to be a good number for the Panthers as the team scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Samson Lein
| 04/26/25 @ Alamosa | 3 |
| 04/26/25 @ Alamosa | 2 |
| 04/21/25 vs Pagosa Springs | 2 |
| 03/28/25 @ Aztec | 2 |
| 05/11/24 @ Bayfield | 2 |
Samson Lein made a splash while hitting and pitching. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Lein was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Montezuma-Cortez got a massive performance out of Cory Carver, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. Carver is also on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last nine games he's played. Darren Daves was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Montezuma-Cortez lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
17 must be Monte Vista's lucky number: they beat Rangely with that score not once but twice on Saturday. The Pirates beat the Panthers by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 17-1. The victory was nothing new for the Pirates as they're now sitting on seven straight.
Jeremiah Baumgardner and Judah Howe made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Baumgardner tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Meanwhile, Howe tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. At bat, Baumgardner went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI, while Howe went 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Chayse Bouet, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Kaden Mellott, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
The win was the fourth in a row for Montezuma-Cortez, bringing their record up to 12-4. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.5 runs over those games. As for Monte Vista, their record is now 12-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Montezuma-Cortez has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Monte Vista struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Montezuma-Cortez skirted past Monte Vista 10-8 in their previous matchup back in April of 2019. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
