The Paradise Honors Panthers will challenge the Shadow Mountain Matadors at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Paradise Honors is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.7 runs per game this season.
Paradise Honors took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Goldwater a 10-0 shutout. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Michael Nicolini Jr.
| 04/15/25 vs Goldwater | 9 |
| 04/08/25 vs Thunderbird | 15 |
| 04/04/25 @ Peoria | 7 |
| 03/26/25 vs Grant | 10 |
| 03/22/25 vs Ralston Valley | 12 |
| 03/14/25 @ Cactus | 10 |
Michael Nicolini Jr. made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. He has been consistent : he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Jack Moore and Boeden Forquer did most of the damage at the plate: Moore went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base, while Forquer scored a run while going 2-for-2. What's more, Forquer posted three RBI, the most he's had since back in March. Jaydan Herrera was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two doubles.
Paradise Honors always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .621. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Goldwater only posted an OBP of .118.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Shadow Mountain and Moon Valley, and Moon Valley kept the tradition alive. The Matadors fell 9-4 to the Rockets on Tuesday.
Like Paradise Honors, Shadow Mountain also got a great game from a two-way player: Jack Zauner. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 11 over 4.1 innings pitched. What's more, Zauner gave up only zero earned runs, the fewest he's had since back in February. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Zauner wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Alex Forkum, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Paradise Honors' victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-3. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.5 runs on average over those games. As for Shadow Mountain, their loss dropped their record down to 8-11-1.
Paradise Honors' speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's game. The Panthers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Shadow Mountain, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Paradise Honors continue to outrun the ball?
Paradise Honors took their victory against Shadow Mountain in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 17-4 score. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Matadors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
