Cactus Shadows is 2-8 against Desert Mountain since March of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Cactus Shadows Falcons will head out on the road to take on the Desert Mountain Wolves at 3:45 p.m. Cactus Shadows is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 6.9 runs per game this season.
While Cactus Shadows has not struggled against Horizon recently, they managed to flip the script on Wednesday. Cactus Shadows came out on top in a nail-biter against Horizon and snuck past 7-6. The win was just what Cactus Shadows needed coming off of an 8-0 defeat in their prior game.
Dallas Dunn looked comfortable as he pitched 2.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (he also didn't allow any walks). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Evan Hanish, who fired off two home runs and seven RBI while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Dominic Ziccarelli, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Desert Mountain scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Wednesday. They were the clear victor by a 13-1 margin over Paradise Valley. Desert Mountain might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won seven contests by six runs or more this season.
Brody James tossed a big game, striking out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits.
At the plate, Desert Mountain let Kyle Pettigrew and Kevin Hoffmaster loose on the outfield. Pettigrew went 2-for-5 with two triples, three RBI, and two runs, while Hoffmaster went 3-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Lance Samuels, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-4.
Cactus Shadows pushed their record up to 10-7-1 with that victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.6 runs per game. As for Desert Mountain, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 15-6.
Cactus Shadows was able to grind out a solid victory over Desert Mountain in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, winning 6-3. Does Cactus Shadows have another victory up their sleeve, or will Desert Mountain turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
