The Tombstone Yellow Jackets will take on the St. Johns Redskins at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Tombstone is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.
Tombstone took a loss when they played away from home back in April, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed two weeks ago. They came out on top against Willcox by a score of 7-4.
DJ Elias made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
Trey Franklin
| 04/25/25 vs Willcox | 4 |
| 03/13/25 vs Ray | 3 |
| 04/14/25 @ Santa Rita | 2 |
| 04/10/25 @ Benson | 2 |
| 03/14/25 @ St. David | 2 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Trey Franklin, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those four stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Erik Koehler was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Tombstone hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Willcox struck out 12 times.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, St. Johns rose to the challenge on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 victory over the Coyotes. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Redskins have posted since April 3rd.
St. Johns got a big performance out of Kaden Waite, who went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of McKray Johnson, who went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Tombstone has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-7-1 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for St. Johns, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 14-12-1.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Tombstone hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .365. However, it's not like St. Johns struggles in that department as they've averaged .387. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Tombstone was able to grind out a solid victory over St. Johns when the teams last played back in May of 2024, winning 4-1. Do the Yellow Jackets have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Redskins turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
