Tombstone has been on the road for four straight, but on Thursday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Willcox Cowboys at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Last Saturday, Tombstone came up short against San Manuel and fell 9-5. Tombstone has not had much luck with San Manuel recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Bria Gross was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up four earned (and five unearned) runs off six hits. Gross has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive pitching appearances. Gross was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Hayden Dobbins and Bella Lopez did some serious damage despite the final result: Dobbins went 1-for-3 with a triple and a run, while Lopez scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Lopez has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played.
Even though they lost, Tombstone didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with seven strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as San Manuel only tossed three.
Meanwhile, Willcox came up short against Santa Cruz Valley on Tuesday and fell 12-7. That's two games in a row now that Willcox has lost by exactly five runs.
Layla Donahue was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double. Addison Burright was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
Tombstone's loss dropped their record down to 4-3. As for Willcox, their defeat was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 3-9.
Tombstone's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's matchup. Tombstone has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Willcox, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 per game. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Tombstone continue to outrun the ball?
Tombstone might still be hurting after the 21-1 loss they got from Willcox in their previous meeting back in April of 2023. Thankfully for Tombstone, Jesse Gonzalez (who tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (she also didn't allow any walks)) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
