Western International is 8-2 against Cass Tech since April of 2023 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Cowboys will square off against the Technicians at 7:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Western International 2.9, Cass Tech 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Western International is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. Everything went their way against King as they made off with a 17-1 victory.
Johnnie Salazar
| 05/15/25 vs King | 10 |
| 05/02/25 @ Renaissance | 4 |
| 04/25/25 @ King | 14 |
Johnnie Salazar looked comfortable as he struck out ten batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted over his last three games.
At the plate, Western International got a massive performance out of Oscar Marquez, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI Marquez has posted since back in April. Justin Diaz was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Western International was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .556. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .320 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Cass Tech fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Farmington on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Falcons by a score of 7-6. That's two games in a row now that the Technicians have lost by just one run.
Chris Hooper was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off ten hits (and not a single walk). He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Zion Finley was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Juan Torres, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Western International has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-7-2 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Cass Tech, their defeat was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 22-8.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Western International has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .446. However, it's not like Cass Tech struggles in that department as they've averaged .505. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Western International was able to grind out a solid victory over Cass Tech when the teams last played back in April, winning 5-2. Will the Cowboys repeat their success, or do the Technicians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
