The Camp Verde High School baseball team hopes its first rivalry game of the year will end a two-game spring break slide.
After losses to Payson and Wickenburg high schools in which the Cowboys scored only three runs and allowed 13 and 12, respectively, the Cowboys looked to take Sedona Red Rock High School back to school and improve on a 2-6-1 record Tuesday, March 18. They will follow that rivalry game with a road trip to Winslow High School on Wednesday, March 19.
“Winslow will be tough, but we really hope to get the win against Sedona,” head baseball coach Will Davis said. “It’s going to be more of a slugfest. Neither one of us really have pitching; that’s why we’ve been struggling a bit this year.
“I think the two teams are pretty evenly matched. The game’s going to be up in the air; it’ll just depend on who’s playing better defense and if we can put the bat on the ball and score some runs.”
The Cowboys will face an increased handicap with the loss of three starters to academic ineligibility this week: Junior shortstop Ezra Church and sophomores Antonio Almendares and Logan Conrad. Church had two singles and a stolen base against Wickenburg, striking out the only batter he faced in the third inning in relief of Conrad, who gave up nine runs in two-and-one-third innings against the Wranglers.
However, only three of them were earned, with 30 of Conrad’s 46 pitches going for strikes.
“It’s great timing to lose our top pitcher and our only returning starter, especially for our rivalry game,” Davis joked.
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, March 19, issue of the Camp Verde Journal.
