The Hidalgo Pirates will head out to face off against the Valley View Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Valley View will be up against a hot Hidalgo squad: the team just extended their winning streak to six. The Pirates put the hurt on Port Isabel with a sharp 17-1 victory on Tuesday. The Pirates' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Ulises Hernandez looked comfortable as he struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Raul Prishker, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Santiago Hernandez, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Hidalgo was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .464. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Port Isabel only posted a batting average of .125.
Meanwhile, Valley View's hitters rose to the challenge against a Bulldogs pitching crew that boasted an average of only 3.68 runs allowed on Friday. The Tigers were the clear victors by a 12-5 margin over Lyford.
Emiliano Rodriguez was incredible, scoring three runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. David Justice was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-5.
Hidalgo pushed their record up to 10-5-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Valley View, their record is now 12-4.
Tuesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hidalgo has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .471. However, it's not like Valley View struggles in that department as they've averaged .431. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Hidalgo's way against Valley View in their previous meeting two weeks ago, as Hidalgo made off with a 9-1 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pirates since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
