vs
| 04/16/26 - Away | 6-4 W |
| 04/30/24 - Away | 15-4 W |
| 03/14/23 - Away | 6-5 W |
| 04/13/22 - Away | 8-0 W |
| 03/30/19 - Home | 5-0 W |
| + 3 more games |
Palo Verde has gone a perfect 8-0 against Durango recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Wednesday. The Panthers will be playing at home against the Trailblazers at 3:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Palo Verde is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nevada's top teams: Sierra Vista, who was ranked 16th at the time (Palo Verde was ranked fifth). The Panthers won by a run and slipped past the Mountain Lions 21-20. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Mountain Lions recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Palo Verde let Noah Knudson and Keimani Johnson run wild. Knudson went a perfect 6-for-6 with four runs, five RBI, and two doubles, while Johnson went 4-for-6 with one home run, six RBI, and two stolen bases. That's the most doubles Knudson has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Luke Jefferies, who went 4-for-6 with three runs, three RBI, and one double.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Palo Verde kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 22 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Durango got the win against Bonanza on Tuesday by a conclusive 14-4. The Trailblazers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by six runs or more this season.
Aiden Farrell was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with four RBI and one stolen base. Durango is 3-1 when Farrell posts three or more hits, but 8-14 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Zaylen Alboro, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Durango's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 6-15 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Josiah Lavea-Aldridge, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs.
Durango's victory bumped their record up to 11-15. As for Palo Verde, their win bumped their record up to 21-7.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Wednesday. Palo Verde hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Durango struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.5 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Palo Verde skirted past Durango 6-4 in their previous meeting on Thursday. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Trailblazers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
