For the first time this season, Kingman will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup on Tuesday. They will venture away from home to square off against the ALA - West Foothills Guardians at 3:45 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Kingman proved they can win big last Saturday (they won by 32) and on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They skirted past Phoenix Christian 11-10. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Bulldogs, who until this matchup were averaging 3.25 runs allowed.
Albert Lopez
| 03/11/25 @ Phoenix Christian | 7 |
| 04/06/24 vs Page | 5 |
| 04/12/24 @ Tonopah Valley | 4 |
| 04/20/24 vs Parker | 3 |
| 04/09/24 vs Tonopah Valley | 3 |
Albert Lopez was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and seven RBI. Those seven RBI gave him a new career-high. Cash Collins also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
Kingman was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .486. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .316 or higher in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, ALA - West Foothills had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. Everything went their way against the Cougars as they made off with a 12-5 victory. Considering the Guardians have won four games by more than six runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
ALA - West Foothills also got a great performance from Brock Christensen as he struck out seven batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Johnny Garcia, who went 4-for-5 with four RBI and two runs. ALA - West Foothills is undefeated when Garcia posts two or more runs, but 1-2 otherwise. Brody Taylor was another key player, scoring three runs while going 1-for-3.
ALA - West Foothills' win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Kingman, their record now sits at 7-1.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Kingman has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .533. However, it's not like ALA - West Foothills struggles in that department as they've averaged .465. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Kingman might still be hurting after the 7-1 loss they got from ALA - West Foothills when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Can Kingman avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
