The St. Mary's Knights will venture away from home to face off against the Thunderbird Titans at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. St. Mary's has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the matchup with three straight defeats, while Thunderbird will come in with four straight wins.
On Wednesday, St. Mary's came up short against Saguaro and fell 5-2.
St. Mary's got a good showing from Sebastian Morales, who pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, Morales gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in March.
On the hitting side, Luis Mejia was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one double. Another player making a difference was Arturo Espino, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Thunderbird was not the first on the board on Wednesday, but they got there more often. Everything went their way against Shadow Mountain as they made off with a 12-3 victory. The result was nothing new for the Titans, who have now won 15 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Tyson Gorder spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on eight hits and racked up nine Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Thunderbird let Weston Lewis and Wrigley Rodak run wild. Lewis got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple, while Rodak went 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most stolen bases Lewis has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of John Lawrence, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Thunderbird always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .525. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Shadow Mountain only posted an OBP of .276.
St. Mary's loss dropped their record down to 14-6. As for Thunderbird, their record now sits at 21-6.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. St. Mary's has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .468. However, it's not like Thunderbird struggles in that department as they've averaged .485. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
