The Shadow Mountain Matadors will face off against the Cortez Colts at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Shadow Mountain is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.2 runs per game this season.
Shadow Mountain saw some tournament action on Saturday. They took an 8-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of Odyssey Institute. The loss continues a trend for the Matadors in their meetings with the Minotaur: they've now lost three in a row.
Alex Forkum
| 03/01/25 vs Odyssey Institute | 4 |
| 02/24/24 vs Desert Edge | 3 |
| 03/27/24 vs Sisters | 2 |
| 04/17/24 vs Thunderbird | 1 |
| 03/01/24 vs Flagstaff | 1 |
Alex Forkum spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned (and five unearned) runs on six hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four).
At the plate, Jack Zauner was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. He has been hot recently, having posted three or more RBI the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Andy Chaplick, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one triple.
Meanwhile, Cortez can bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Monday. They came out on top against South Mountain by a score of 12-8. The high-scoring effort was just what the Colts needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.
Kriztian Visuet made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Visuet was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing Two bases. while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Andre Shepard, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Aeryk Snyder was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing Three bases. while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Cortez always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .524. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Cortez's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Shadow Mountain, they now have a losing record of 1-2-1.
Cortez's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Shadow Mountain has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.2 hits per game. It's a different story for Cortez, though, as they've been averaging 11.4 hits. Given Shadow Mountain's sizable advantage in that area, Cortez will need to find a way to close that gap.
Shadow Mountain took their victory against Cortez in their previous matchup on Thursday by a conclusive 30-3. Does Shadow Mountain have another victory up their sleeve, or will Cortez turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
