Independence had lost four straight at home, but on Thursday they dropped down to 1-5 to make it five. They lost 14-0 to the Ironwood Eagles. The matchup marked the first time this season in which the Patriots were not able to get on the board.
As for Ironwood, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-1. While they didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
For Ironwood's part, Ricardo Soto Diaz made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. Those 11 strikeouts gave Soto Diaz a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those stolen bases marked the first that he has snagged this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brice Coleman, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Michael Escalera Olivas was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Independence will get a bit of extra time to process the defeat as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Copper Canyon at 3:45 p.m. on the 24th. As for Ironwood, they have already played their next game, a 17-0 loss against Prescott on the 16th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
