The Montezuma-Cortez Panthers will challenge the Jefferson Academy Jaguars at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Montezuma-Cortez sitting on 11 straight victories and Jefferson Academy on three.
Last Saturday, Montezuma-Cortez made easy work of Bayfield and carried off a 15-5 win. Considering the Panthers have won 12 contests by more than six runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Montezuma-Cortez got a massive performance out of Seth Oakes, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. Another player making a difference was Cory Carver, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
Montezuma-Cortez hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Jefferson Academy sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 victory over Peak to Peak on Tuesday. That's two games straight that the Jaguars have won by just one run.
Jefferson Academy's win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Ben Pederson, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double. Nate Ross also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Montezuma-Cortez pushed their record up to 19-4 with the victory, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Jefferson Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 6-17.
Montezuma-Cortez's speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's matchup. The Panthers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Jefferson Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Montezuma-Cortez continue to outrun the ball? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
