Espanola Valley is 0-10 against Los Alamos since March of 2022 but things could change on Saturday. The Sundevils will be playing in front of their home fans against the Hilltoppers at 10:00 a.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Espanola Valley is headed into Saturday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fifth straight game on Wednesday. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 15-14 heartbreaker at the hands of Grants. Even if the Sundevils couldn't come away with the win, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their hitters, which had struggled int the games prior.
Nayleah Martinez was cooking despite her team's loss, firing off two home runs, four runs, and five RBI while going 4-for-5. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Leah Vigil, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Meanwhile, Los Alamos had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it nine on Wednesday. They came out on top against the Elks/Elkettes by a score of 10-7. Ten seems to be a good number for the Hilltoppers as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Malaya Haynes made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up just one earned (and six unearned) runs off eight hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Los Alamos got a massive performance out of Reyana Naranjo, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Abagail Deherrera was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run.
Los Alamos always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .595. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Pojoaque Valley only posted an OBP of .324.
Espanola Valley's defeat dropped their record down to 4-15. As for Los Alamos, their win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-5-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Saturday. Espanola Valley hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Los Alamos struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.5 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Espanola Valley might still be hurting after the 11-5 loss they got from Los Alamos when the teams last played two weeks ago. Will the Sundevils 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.
