The Tombstone Yellow Jackets will face off against the Benson Bobcats on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Tombstone is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They won by a run and slipped past Glendale Prep Academy 2-1. Winning may never get old, but the Yellow Jackets sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
DJ Elias made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over seven innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base.
Elias wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Trey Franklin, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
Bisbee typically has all the answers at home, but on Saturday Benson proved too difficult a challenge. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Pumas, sneaking past 6-4. The game was the first time the Bobcats have beaten the Pumas on their field since April 4, 2023.
Like Tombstone, Benson also got a great game from a two-way player: Dawson Judd. He struck out six batters over 4.1 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). Judd was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Kellen Deskins was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three RBI and one double. Another player making a difference was Easton Adams, who went 1-for-4 with two runs.
Tombstone pushed their record up to 19-7-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Benson, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 15-13-1.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Tombstone hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .365. However, it's not like Benson struggles in that department as they've averaged .337. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Tombstone took their win against Benson when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 10-0 score. Will the Yellow Jackets repeat their success, or do the Bobcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
