The Superior Panthers will challenge the Show Low Cougars at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Superior took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Morenci an 11-0 shutout. The Panthers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
The result came thanks to Ryland Duarte's shutout, as he gave up just a hit and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Raiden Sommer was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Brandon Ramirez, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and one RBI.
Superior was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .389. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Show Low duked it out with Morenci on Thursday. The Cougars walked away with a 13-8 victory over the Wildcats. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Cougars.
Nick Hall was a major factor no matter where he played. He pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Hall was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played dating back to last season.
In other batting news, Show Low let Mason Bigos and Bode Kenney run wild. Bigos went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, two RBI, and one double, while Kenney got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Kash Perkins was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Show Low's win bumped their record up to 2-0. As for Superior, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Superior came up short against Show Low when the teams last played back in March of 2020, falling 6-3. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
