The Lamar Thunder will challenge the Salida Spartans at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Lamar is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.5 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, Lamar made easy work of Burlington and carried off a 17-3 win. The victory continues a trend for the Thunder in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won three in a row.
Alex Williams made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out 12 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. He is becoming a predictor of Lamar's success: when he posts at least ten strikeouts the team is undefeated (and 5-8 when he doesn't). Williams was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one double.
Ayden Hose
| 04/21/26 @ Burlington | 6 |
| 03/26/26 vs Hoehne | 5 |
| 03/29/25 @ La Junta | 5 |
| 04/02/26 vs Alamosa | 3 |
| 04/20/26 @ Rye | 2 |
In other batting news, Ayden Hose was incredible, firing off two home runs, six RBI, and four runs while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. Those six RBI gave him a new career-high. Jacob Dunning was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Lamar kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are 6-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Salida was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They fell 7-2 to Sand Creek.
Tao Adams was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double. That double was his first of the season.
The win got Lamar back to even at 8-8. As for Salida, their loss dropped their record down to 3-12.
Salida's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lamar has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Salida, though, as they've been averaging 9.7 hits. Given Lamar's sizable advantage in that area, the Spartans will need to find a way to close that gap.
Lamar got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in April of 2025 against Salida by a conclusive 13-2 score. Will the Thunder repeat their success, or do the Spartans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
