The Kiowa Indians will venture away from home to take on the Simla Cubs at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Kiowa lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Elbert, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Tuesday's contest. The Indians blew past the Bulldogs 20-13 on Tuesday. The game was the first time the Indians have beaten the Bulldogs on their field since April 25, 2017.
Rowan Golden was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits. Golden was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring five runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of his six plate appearances. Those five runs gave him a new career-high.
Thade Montgemery
| 04/15/25 @ Elbert | 5 |
| 03/24/25 vs Custer County | 4 |
| 03/13/25 @ Custer County | 3 |
| 04/08/25 vs Elbert | 2 |
| 03/22/25 @ Manzanola | 2 |
In other batting news, Kiowa got a massive performance out of Thade Montgemery, who got on base in four of his six plate appearances with five RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those five RBI gave Montgemery a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jd Brewer, who scored two runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Kiowa always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .574. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, while Simla put up plenty of runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Custer County. The Cubs were the clear victors by a 16-0 margin over the Bobcats. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Cubs considering their two-run performance the matchup before.
Wyatt Stanko and Tatum Kocerha made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Stanko struck out seven batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Kocerha pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Stanko has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in six consecutive appearances. At the plate, Stanko scored three runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-4, while Kocerha scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-4. Stanko is becoming a predictor of Simla's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 2-4 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Treven Kocerha was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4. He has become a key player for Simla: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-4 otherwise. Teague Jones also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Kiowa's record now sits at 5-6. As for Simla, their record is now 6-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Kiowa has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Simla struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Kiowa suffered a grim 16-1 defeat to Simla in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Indians avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
