The Coconino Panthers are taking a road trip to challenge the Cactus Shadows Falcons at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Cactus Shadows took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Coconino, who comes in off a win.
Coconino barely beat Sahuarita the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Panthers were the clear victors by a 14-4 margin over the Mustangs on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won 15 games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Jade Sandoval spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Emma Kennelly, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 3-for-5. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Sophia Ormsby was another key player, going 3-for-5 with one home run and four RBI.
They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: Coconino lost a few balls and finished the game with five home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Cactus Shadows unfortunately witnessed the end of their 13-game winning streak on Saturday. They took a 4-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Mica Mountain. Having soared to a lofty ten runs in the game before, the Falcons' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Cactus Shadows also got a good showing from Molly Brown, who tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, Cactus Shadows saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Caylee Cundall, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base. Cundall is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played.
Coconino is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 13 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-8 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games. As for Cactus Shadows, their defeat dropped their record down to 21-8.
Cactus Shadows' pitching crew better be locked in on Tuesday. Coconino hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. It's a different story for Cactus Shadows, though, as they've been averaging only 0 home runs. Will they be able to keep Coconino in the park?
Coconino suffered a grim 11-4 defeat to Cactus Shadows in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
