The Combs Coyotes will face off against the Cactus Shadows Falcons at 3:45 p.m. on Friday.
Combs fell victim to Marcos de Niza and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They took a 4-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Padres. The Coyotes have struggled against the Padres recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meetings.
Combs saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Angel Rubio, who went 2-for-4 with one double.
Meanwhile, Cactus Shadows got themselves on the board against Thunderbird on Tuesday, but Thunderbird never followed suit. They were the clear victor by a 14-0 margin over the Titans. The result was nothing new for the Falcons, who have now won three matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Henry Verhamme was a major factor no matter where he played. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in March of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other pitching news, Grayson Headon looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the first time he hasn't allowed a single hit since back in March of 2024.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Dominic Ziccarelli, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Owen Konerko, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Cactus Shadows was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .414. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Thunderbird only posted a batting average of .062.
Cactus Shadows' victory bumped their record up to 4-0-1. As for Combs, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 1-1-1.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Combs hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .321. However, it's not like Cactus Shadows struggles in that department as they've averaged .393. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
