The Cactus Cobras will square off against the Ironwood Eagles at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Cactus took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 10-8 win over Agua Fria.
William Wagner looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single earned run, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in February.
On the hitting side, Cactus' victory was truly a team effort as eight different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Jackson Dunphy, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. The dominant performance also gave Dunphy a new career-high in RBI (two). Julian Moncivaiz also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Cactus was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Ironwood came into Tuesday's match having lost six straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They put the hurt on Kellis with a sharp 15-2 win on Tuesday. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Eagles' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Lane Stilwell was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits (and not a single walk). He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Ironwood is 2-1 when Stilwell posts two or more runs, but 0-6 otherwise.
In other batting news, Alex Misner and Max Schattner did most of the damage at the plate: Misner scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2, while Schattner scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4. Another player making a difference was Bo Coleman, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Ironwood picked up their first road victory, bumping their record up to 2-7. As for Cactus, their win bumped their record up to 4-9.
Cactus might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Ironwood in their previous meeting back in March of 2021. Will Cactus have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
