Manitou Springs has won three straight games at home, while St. Mary has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Tuesday. The Mustangs will welcome the Pirates at 2:30 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Tuesday.
Manitou Springs came out on top against Lamar on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive ten-run fourth inning. The Mustangs blew past the Thunder 13-3. The Mustangs have beaten the Thunder the last four times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Thunder has come to flipping the script.
Preston Rhodes
| 04/17/25 vs Lamar | 5 |
| 04/12/25 @ Salida | 4 |
| 03/24/25 vs La Grande | 4 |
| 03/18/25 @ Woodland Park | 4 |
| 04/20/24 @ La Junta | 2 |
Preston Rhodes made a splash while hitting and pitching. He tossed five innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five). He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Hayden Martinez, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Maxton Bolster, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Manitou Springs was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .435. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, St. Mary's never let their opponents score on Saturday. They put the hurt on Ellicott with a sharp 13-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Pirates, who have now won four matchups by ten runs or more so far this season.
Like Manitou Springs, St. Mary's also got a great game from a two-way player: Ron Karin. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Karin has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Garret Klein was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run. He is on a roll when it comes to RBI, as he's now brought in three or more in each of the last three games he's played. Cole Eberhardt was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
St. Mary's is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.2 runs over those games. As for Manitou Springs, their victory bumped their record up to 6-7.
Manitou Springs was able to grind out a solid win over St. Mary's in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 6-3. Do the Mustangs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Pirates turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
