Lee Williams hasn't had much luck against Coconino recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. Lee Williams will venture away from home to take on Coconino at 5:00 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Lee Williams barely beat Mingus the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Lee Williams was the clear victor by an 11-1 margin over Mingus on Thursday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Volunteers.
Aivree Austin made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over six innings pitched. Austin was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sami Marshall, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 3-for-4. Ava Willis-Bertram was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Lee Williams was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .394. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mingus only posted a batting average of .227.
Meanwhile, Coconino had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it nine on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Thunderbirds an 8-0 shutout. The Panthers' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last three matches.
Like Lee Williams, Coconino also got a great game from a two-way player: Kaitlyn Tso. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 16 over seven innings pitched. Tso has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 16 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Cassidey Castillo was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. That's the most runs she has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Danica Kern, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Coconino's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-4. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.4 runs over those games. As for Lee Williams, they picked up their first road win, bumping their record up to 5-9.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lee Williams hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .346. However, it's not like Coconino 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.
Lee Williams might still be hurting after the 12-1 loss they got from Coconino in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Can Lee Williams avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
