The Verrado Vipers will face off against the Coconino Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Verrado's tournament run continued when they took on Shadow Ridge on Wednesday. The Vipers narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Stallions 6-4.
Hunter Chambers looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched.
At the plate, Verrado let Carter Purdy and Zach Mermis run wild. Purdy went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double, while Mermis went 2-for-3 with one home run. Those two hits gave Mermis a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Brady Trujillo, who went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Coconino had to kick off their season on the road on Wednesday, but they showed no ill effects. They put the hurt on Peoria with a sharp 11-1 victory. The win continues a trend for Coconino in their matchups with Peoria: they've now won four in a row.
Junior Stone was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and three runs. Collin Peace was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Coconino always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Peoria only posted an OBP of .250.
Verrado got the 'W' when the teams last played back in February of 2020 against Coconino by a conclusive 7-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vipers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
