The North Fork Miners will head out to take on the Montezuma-Cortez Panthers at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
North Fork took a six-run defeat the last time they faced off against Cedaredge, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Miners' pitcher stepped up to hand the Bruins a 2-0 shutout on Tuesday. Surprisingly, this marked the Miners' sixth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Mario Gama
| 04/29/25 @ Cedaredge | 7 |
| 04/22/25 vs Grand Valley | 12 |
| 04/15/25 @ Olathe | 8 |
| 04/11/25 vs Meeker | 13 |
| 03/29/25 @ Rangely | 13 |
| + 2 more games |
The result came thanks to Mario Gama's shutout, as he gave up just a hit and racked up seven Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, North Fork's victory was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Payson Pene, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, it may have taken ten innings to finish the job, but Montezuma-Cortez ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Monte Vista 8-6. The victory was nothing new for the Panthers as they're now sitting on five straight.
Samson Lein made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over seven innings pitched. Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in five of his six plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
In other batting news, Seth Oakes was incredible, getting on base in four of his six plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. Bodie Stiegelmeyer also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Montezuma-Cortez kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 12 hits in four consecutive contests.
Montezuma-Cortez's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-4. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for North Fork, their record now sits at 8-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. North Fork has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Montezuma-Cortez struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
North Fork took their win against Montezuma-Cortez in their previous meeting back in March of 2022 by a conclusive 10-0 score. Do the Miners have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
