The Roosevelt Eagles will face off against the Smyer Bobcats at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Roosevelt came into their game on Monday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They lost 11-1 to New Home. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Eagles, who until this contest were averaging 3.83 runs allowed.
Jaden Zuniga made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Smyer came up short against Friona on Thursday, falling 11-5. The Bobcats have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Colton Burris put in work while hitting and pitching. He struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and seven unearned) runs off three hits. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 5.2 strikeouts per game. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Burris wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Ryan Gutierrez, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. Gutierrez is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least one every time he's taken the field this season.
Smyer now has a losing record of 2-3. As for Roosevelt, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 4-1-1.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Roosevelt has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .460. However, it's not like Smyer struggles in that department as they've averaged .446. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Roosevelt skirted past Smyer 9-8 when the teams last played back in February of 2022. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bobcats turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
