Pojoaque Valley is 2-8 against Bernalillo since February of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. Pojoaque Valley will take on Bernalillo in a tournament on Thursday.
Pojoaque Valley is headed into Thursday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their sixth straight game on Saturday. They fell 10-5 to Robertson.
Ezekiel Atencio
| 03/22/25 vs Robertson | 6 |
| 03/20/25 @ Santa Fe | 2 |
| 03/06/25 @ Raton | 5 |
| 03/06/25 @ Raton | 4 |
| 05/04/24 vs Espanola Valley | 9 |
Ezekiel Atencio put in work while hitting and pitching. He struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in May of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Atencio wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Jose Lujan, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2. That stolen base marked the first that Lujan snagged this season.
Meanwhile, Bernalillo sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 win over St. Michael's on Thursday.
Like Pojoaque Valley, Bernalillo also got a great game from a two-way player: Uriel Castro. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up five earned runs off four hits. Castro is becoming a predictor of Bernalillo's success: when he posts at least eight strikeouts the team is 2-1 (and 4-5 when he doesn't). Castro was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Anthony Garcia was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one double. Hernan Hernandez was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.
Bernalillo was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. They are 3-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Bernalillo is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-6 record this season. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of 1.75 runs across that stretch. Pojoaque Valley's loss dropped their record down to 2-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Pojoaque Valley has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Bernalillo struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Pojoaque Valley might still be hurting after the 20-2 defeat they got from Bernalillo in their previous meeting on March 1st. Will Pojoaque Valley have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
