The Willcox Cowboys will head out on the road to challenge the Duncan Wildkats at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Neither of those teams managed to put together many runs in their previous contests, so the offenses might be a little more motivated than usual.
Willcox is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Empire just ended the team's eight-game winning streak on Tuesday. They took a 5-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Ravens.
Bryan Cuevas was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one triple and two RBI. Kaleb Cooke was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one run.
Meanwhile, Duncan entered their contest against Miami on Thursday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. The Wildkats came up short against the Vandals, falling 13-1.
Duncan saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Pablo Ruiz, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. Ruiz is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played.
Willcox's defeat dropped their record down to 11-5. As for Duncan, the loss was their first at home, dropping their record down to 8-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Willcox has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Duncan struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 10.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Willcox's way against Duncan when the teams last played back in April of 2025, as Willcox made off with a 10-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cowboys since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
