The Thunderbird Titans will be taking part in a tournament against the Cactus Cobras at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Thunderbird is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.5 runs per game this season.
The scorekeeper got an easy start on Wednesday as neither Thunderbird nor Deer Valley made it on the board until the seventh inning. The Titans fell just short of the Skyhawks by a score of 4-2. The Titans' loss signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Cactus). Their pitcher stepped up to hand Cortez a 21-0 shutout on Wednesday. While the Cobras didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-18), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Degan Thomas was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Thomas was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with four runs, three RBI, and one double. Those four runs gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Jordan Marrufo was incredible, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with four runs, two RBI, and one double. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. Julian Navarro was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three runs and three RBI.
Cactus was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cortez only posted a batting average of .077.
Cactus has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Thunderbird, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-2.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Thunderbird hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .402. However, it's not like Cactus struggles in that department as they've averaged .337. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Thunderbird was able to grind out a solid win over Cactus in their previous meeting back in March of 2020, winning 6-1. Do the Titans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cobras turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
