The Benson Bobcats will head out on the road to take on the Tombstone Yellow Jackets at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Benson has given up an average of 7.9 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Benson is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 25 runs on Thursday, they were much more limited against Willcox on Tuesday. They came up short against the Cowboys, falling 11-0. The Bobcats haven't had much luck with the Cowboys recently, as the team has come up short the last four times they've met.
Meanwhile, Tombstone got the win against Rio Rico on Wednesday by a conclusive 19-2. The result was nothing new for the Yellow Jackets, who have now won ten matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Bria Gross made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last 11 contests.
In other batting news, Tombstone got a massive performance out of Hayden Dobbins, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs and three RBI. McKenzy Nicoll was another key player, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Tombstone always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .711. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Rio Rico only posted an OBP of .318.
Tombstone is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-11 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Benson, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-11.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Benson hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .313. However, it's not like Tombstone struggles in that department as they've averaged .373. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Benson might still be hurting after the 13-0 loss they got from Tombstone in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Bobcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
