The Chaparral Lobos will head out on the road to challenge the Goddard Rockets at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. Chaparral has given up an average of 6.8 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Chaparral is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They skirted past Belen 12-11. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Lobos considering their two-run performance the match before.
The team relied heavily on Michael Molina, who went 1-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three RBI. Aiden Munoz was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Los Alamos typically has all the answers at home, but on Saturday Goddard proved too difficult a challenge. They put the hurt on the Hilltoppers with a sharp 11-4 win. The Rockets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by six runs or more this season.
Jaden Fuentes made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his five plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April.
In other pitching news, Lucien Betancur looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. He has become a key player for Goddard: the team is 2-1 when he allows at most one hit, but 11-13 otherwise.
Back at the plate, Goddard let Donovan Davis and Brady Duer run wild. Davis went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, while Duer went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Goddard is undefeated when Davis posts three or more hits, but 10-14 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Marcos Rodriquez, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
Chaparral has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games. That's provided a massive bump to their 17-12 record this season. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 8.3 runs. As for Goddard, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 13-14.
Chaparral suffered a grim 13-0 defeat to Goddard in their previous meeting back in March of 2017. Can the Lobos avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
