The Manual Thunderbolts are taking a road trip to take on the Kennedy Commanders at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. Manual will be strutting in after a victory while Kennedy will be coming in after a defeat.
Manual will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Tuesday, then bounced right back against Jefferson on Thursday. The Thunderbolts' pitchers stepped up to hand the Jeff Saint a 13-0 shutout. That 13-run margin sets a new team best for the Thunderbolts this season.
Misael Pedro
| 04/30/26 @ Jefferson | 3 |
| 04/25/26 @ Denver West | 2 |
| 04/14/26 vs Kennedy | 1 |
| 03/23/26 vs DSST: Montview | 1 |
| 03/20/26 vs Thornton | 1 |
Misael Pedro was a standout: he got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Edgar Salas, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Manual always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .537. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Jefferson only posted an OBP of .190.
Meanwhile, Kennedy suffered their closest loss since April 7th on Wednesday. They fell just short of DSST: Montview by a score of 8-6. The Commanders have struggled against the Knights recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Marcelo Nevarez was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI. That home run was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Xavier Benavidez, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Kennedy's defeat dropped their record down to 7-11. As for Manual, their win ended an eight-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-13.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Manual has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Kennedy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Manual couldn't quite finish off Kennedy in their previous matchup back in April and fell 12-10. Can the Thunderbolts avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
