The Niwot Cougars will head out on the road to face off against the Fort Morgan Mustangs at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
On Thursday, Niwot came up short against Legacy and fell 10-7.
Arlo Richards was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double. Logan Waldron also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, after a string of seven wins, Fort Morgan's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They fell just short of Brush by a score of 4-3. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
JJ Marquez was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Samson Ortega made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one run.
Niwot has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost eight of their last ten contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-13 record this season. As for Fort Morgan, their loss dropped their record down to 12-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Niwot has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Fort Morgan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Niwot skirted past Fort Morgan 4-2 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. 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.
