The Burlington Cougars will head out to challenge the Lamar Thunder at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Burlington took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They blew past Calhan 11-1. The victory continues a trend for the Cougars in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won four in a row.
Lenny Ramirez
| 04/19/25 vs Calhan | 3 |
| 04/17/25 @ Colby | 1 |
| 04/15/25 vs Limon | 2 |
| 04/12/25 @ Wray | 2 |
| 04/12/25 @ Wray | 0 |
| + 13 more games |
Lenny Ramirez made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out 12 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). He is becoming a predictor of Burlington's success: when he allows at most three earned runs the team is 4-1 (and 1-6 when he doesn't). Ramirez was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Burlington let Darian McDonough and Zack Foose run wild. McDonough went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double, while Foose went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most hits Foose has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Rowdy Humrich, who went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs.
Burlington was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Calhan only posted a batting average of .100.
Meanwhile, Lamar made easy work of Rye on Monday and carried off a 12-2 win.
Alex Aguilar made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Aguilar was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one triple and one run. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, Cael Buxton and Ayden Hose did most of the damage at the plate: Buxton got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double, while Hose went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That stolen base was Hose's first of the season. Alex Williams was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI.
Lamar pushed their record up to 10-5 with the victory, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.9 runs over those games. As for Burlington, their record is now 5-7.
Tuesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Burlington has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .445. However, it's not like Lamar struggles in that department as they've averaged .504. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Burlington suffered a grim 22-10 defeat to Lamar in their previous matchup back in April of 2017. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
