Manual has gone a perfect 5-0 against Denver West recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Monday. The Thunderbolts will head out to challenge the Cowboys at 4:15 p.m. Manual is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.2 runs per game this season.
If Manual beats Denver West with 15 runs on Monday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. Everything went the Thunderbolts' way against Kennedy on Friday as they made off with a 15-5 win. Considering the Thunderbolts have won ten contests by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Leo Zimmerman
| 05/02/25 vs Kennedy | 15 |
| 03/21/25 @ Thornton | 14 |
| 03/06/25 vs Arrupe Jesuit | 14 |
| 04/29/25 @ Lincoln | 9 |
| 03/14/25 vs Lincoln | 6 |
Leo Zimmerman made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 15 batters over six innings while giving up five earned runs off nine hits (and only one walk). Those 15 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Manual got a massive performance out of Edgar Salas, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave Salas a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jake Carney, who went 2-for-4 with five RBI, one run, and one double.
Manual always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .683. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Denver West was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their 40th straight defeat dating back to last season. They lost 11-1 to Strasburg. That's two games in a row now that the Cowboys have lost by exactly ten runs.
Denver West saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Xzavier Espino, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base.
Manual's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-7. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.0 runs over those games. As for Denver West, their loss dropped their record down to 0-20.
Denver West's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Manual hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .334. It's a different story for Denver West, though, as they've only averaged .199. Will they be able to contain Manual's hitters?
Everything went Manual's way against Denver West when the teams last played last Saturday, as Manual made off with a 19-7 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Thunderbolts since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
