The Evergreen Cougars will venture away from home to challenge the Green Mountain Rams at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Evergreen came out on top against Wheat Ridge on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive ten-run second inning. The Cougars blew past the Farmers 14-2. Considering the Cougars have won eight games by more than seven runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Evergreen got a massive performance out of James Mauro, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. Kai Kazmer also deserves some recognition as he got his first hits of the season.
Evergreen always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .541. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wheat Ridge only posted an OBP of .367.
Meanwhile, Green Mountain came into Monday's contest having lost five straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They put the hurt on Littleton with a sharp 10-4 win on Monday.
Miles Flanagan looked comfortable as he pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has become a key player for Green Mountain: the team is 4-1 when he allows at most two hits, but 0-15 otherwise.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Corbin Wade, who fired off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-3. Those two home runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Royce Pina, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one double.
Green Mountain's victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-5 and their overall record up to 4-16. As for Evergreen, their record now sits at 14-6.
Evergreen's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's matchup. The Cougars have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Green Mountain, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Evergreen continue to outrun the ball?
Evergreen got the 'W' when the teams last played back in April against Green Mountain by a conclusive 13-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
