The Apache Junction Prospectors will head out on the road to take on the Coolidge Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Apache Junction has three straight wins, Coolidge has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Last Thursday, Apache Junction was able to grind out a solid victory over Globe, taking the game 6-1. That's two games straight that the Prospectors have won by exactly five runs.
Austin Sherman spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up eight Ks.
On the hitting side, Apache Junction saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Dylan Hunsaker, who scored a run and stole four bases while going 2-for-3. That's the most stolen bases Hunsaker has posted since back in April of 2024. Another was Aidan Mead, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Coolidge came up short against Safford on Monday, falling 7-1.
Apache Junction's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-5. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Coolidge, their loss dropped their record down to 4-9.
Coolidge's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Apache Junction hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. It's a different story for Coolidge, though, as they've only averaged .253. Will they be able to contain Apache Junction's hitters?
Apache Junction took their win against Coolidge in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 13-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Prospectors since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
