The Overland Trailblazers will head out on the road to face off against the Aurora Central Trojans at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Overland has given up an average of 11.3 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Wednesday just wasn't the day for Overland's offense. They lost 24-0 to Denver South on Wednesday. Having soared to a lofty 15 runs in the game before, the Trailblazers' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Meanwhile, Aurora Central had just enough and edged out Kennedy 10-8 on Wednesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Trojans.
Toby Sanchez was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Aurora Central is undefeated when Sanchez posts two or more runs, but 2-8 otherwise.
In other batting news, Kalai Bentosino was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. Eloy Sifuentes was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and two doubles.
Aurora Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .455. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive matches.
Overland's defeat dropped their record down to 6-9. As for Aurora Central, their record now sits at 6-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Overland has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Aurora Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Overland took their victory against Aurora Central in their previous matchup on April 8th by a conclusive 14-4 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Trailblazers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
