The Willcox Cowboys will head out to challenge the Desert Christian Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Willcox is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 13 runs on Friday, they were much more limited against Morenci on Monday. They lost 7-1 to the Wildcats. Cowboys fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Wildcats since on Monday.
Willcox saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mark Wilson, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Desert Christian, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Valley Union 8-7. The victory continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Blue Devils: they've now won five in a row.
Caleb Marquez was incredible, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 3-for-3. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Caden Esquerra, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Desert Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .391. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Desert Christian pushed their record up to 7-9 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Willcox, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-11-1.
Willcox's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's match. The Cowboys have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Desert Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Willcox continue to outrun the ball?
Willcox came out on top in a nail-biter against Desert Christian in their previous meeting back in March, sneaking past 7-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cowboys since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
