The Phoenix Christian Cougars will venture away from home to take on the Tombstone Yellow Jackets at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Phoenix Christian is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last seven games.
On Friday, it was close, but Phoenix Christian sidestepped Pima for a 3-1 win. Those three runs were actually the fewest the Cougars have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Kohen Spannagel spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Sam Shores was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Tombstone never let their opponents score on Friday. They blew past San Miguel 15-0. Considering the Yellow Jackets have won nine contests by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Kelly Bliss was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, Tombstone let Erik Koehler and Trey Franklin run wild. Koehler scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Franklin scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Santiago Blanco also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Tombstone kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive games.
Phoenix Christian pushed their record up to 14-1 with the victory, which was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.5 runs over those games. As for Tombstone, their record is now 13-5-1.
Saturday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Phoenix Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .489. However, it's not like Tombstone struggles in that department as they've averaged .460. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
