Softball Game Preview: Hatch Valley Bears vs. Cobre Indians

Hatch Valley hasn't had much luck against Cobre recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Bears will welcome the Indians at 11:00 a.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Cobre will be up against a hot Hatch Valley team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Bears blew past Hot Springs 19-1 on Wednesday. That looming 19-1 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Bears yet this season.

Meanwhile, Cobre made easy work of Socorro on Wednesday and carried off a 20-1 win. Winning may never get old, but the Indians sure are getting used to it with their ninth in a row.

Ezmyah Dominguez looked comfortable as she pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single walk in four consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Ayvah Ortiz, who fired off two home runs, seven RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-3. That's the most home runs she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Isenya Silva, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.

Cobre was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .737. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .343 or higher in nine consecutive games.

Cobre pushed their record up to 14-6 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.8 runs over those games. As for Hatch Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 8-10.

Hatch Valley suffered a grim 18-1 defeat to Cobre in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Bears avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.