The Eastmark Firebirds will take on the Cactus Shadows Falcons at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Eastmark has struggled recently with five losses in a row, while Cactus Shadows will arrive with four straight wins.
On Wednesday, Eastmark didn't have quite enough to beat Arcadia and fell 3-2.
Eastmark saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Austin Bertolina, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Cactus Shadows won against Combs two weeks ago with 17 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Friday. The Falcons' pitcher stepped up to hand Peoria a 17-0 shutout. The Falcons might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by ten runs or more this season.
Cash Duley looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Henry Verhamme was incredible, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Keyen Marquez was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Cactus Shadows always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .676. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in four consecutive matchups.
Cactus Shadows' victory bumped their record up to 6-2. As for Eastmark, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-10.
Eastmark might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from Cactus Shadows in their previous matchup back in March of 2025. Will the Firebirds have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
