Widefield hasn't had much luck against Canon City recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Gladiators will head out on the road to challenge the Tigers at 4:00 p.m. Widefield is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.
Widefield will bounce into Tuesday's match after beating Pueblo South, who they had gone 0-6 against in their six prior meetings. The Gladiators walked away with a 7-3 win over the Colts on Tuesday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Liam Gordon spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Nick Prantl, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. That triple marked the first that he hit this season.
Meanwhile, Canon City sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 victory over Pueblo East on Friday.
John Vendetti looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits.
At the plate, Tanner Leonard was incredible, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Trey Schumaker, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Canon City kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 2-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Canon City's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-4. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Widefield, the win got them back to even at 6-6.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Widefield hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .331. However, it's not like Canon City struggles in that department as they've averaged .313. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Widefield couldn't quite get it done against Canon City in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 as they fell 7-2. Can the Gladiators avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
