The Thatcher Eagles will head out on the road to challenge the Odyssey Institute Minotaur at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Thatcher is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.
Last Thursday, Thatcher came up short against Safford and fell 14-9.
Kody Bingham made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played. Another player making a difference was Dee Allen, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
Meanwhile, Odyssey Institute entered their tilt with Tonopah Valley with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Phoenix a 2-0 shutout on Saturday.
Joey Perusek spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just zero earned runs on two hits and racked up 11 Ks.
At the plate, Odyssey Institute's victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Austin Connell, who scored two runs while going 1-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Ismael Hinojosa, who went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a double.
Thatcher's loss dropped their record down to 11-11-1. As for Odyssey Institute, their win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-8-1.
Both the pair just can't seem to miss. Thatcher has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.9 hits per game. However, it's not like Odyssey Institute struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.4. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Thatcher beat Odyssey Institute 10-5 when the teams last played back in April of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Thatcher since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
