A feisty cat fight will be fought as Mesquite Wildcats face off against Gilbert Tigers at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Mesquite has three straight wins, Gilbert has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
While Mesquite's victory against Flagstaff wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. Mesquite sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 win over Flagstaff on Saturday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Wildcats have posted since March 13, 2024.
Jacob Martinez looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. That's the fewest earned runs he has allowed since back in March of 2024.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Bently Sandall, who scored two runs and stole Three bases. while going 2-for-2. Those stolen bases were his first of the season. Kash Rogers was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Gilbert suffered their closest loss since April 16, 2024 on Monday. They fell just short of Sunnyside by a score of 4-2.
Johhny King was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits.
At the plate, Grant Goodman made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Cameron Foegal, who scored a run and stole Two bases. while going 1-for-2.
Gilbert's defeat dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Mesquite, their record is now 3-1.
Gilbert's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Mesquite hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .341. It's a different story for Gilbert, though, as they've only averaged .211. Will they be able to contain Mesquite's hitters?
Mesquite might still be hurting after the 9-3 loss they got from Gilbert in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can Mesquite avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
