The Hobbs Eagles will venture away from home to take on the Carlsbad Cavemen/Cavegirls at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
On Thursday, Hobbs made easy work of Clovis and carried off an 11-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won six games by six runs or more so far this season.
Aniya Rodriguez spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits.
On the hitting side, Abigail Zambrano was incredible, firing off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 3-for-3. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Maryna Valenzuela also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Carlsbad). They blew past Roswell 17-4 on Thursday. The victory was familiar territory for the Cavemen/Cavegirls, who have now won six matchups in a row.
Aubrey Hernandez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over 5.2 innings while giving up four earned runs off five hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Carlsbad got a massive performance out of Faith Rivera, who fired off two home runs and five RBI while going 3-for-5. Kalion Fuentes was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI.
Carlsbad kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 22 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive contests.
Carlsbad pushed their record up to 12-6 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Hobbs, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 10-7.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hobbs has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .452. However, it's not like Carlsbad struggles in that department as they've averaged .433. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hobbs skirted past Carlsbad 11-10 in their previous matchup back in March. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do the Cavemen/Cavegirls have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
