The Los Lunas Tigers will venture away from home to square off against the Rio Grande Ravens at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Los Lunas' pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They blew past West Mesa 10-0. The win continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won four in a row.
The team relied heavily on Matthew Castillo, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most doubles he has posted since back in May of 2024. Mark Scime also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Los Lunas kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Rio Grande came tearing into Tuesday's match with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by a 15-3 margin over the Bulldogs.
Sebastian Chavez made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Chavez was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Rio Grande's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 7-9 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Andrew Salas was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, four RBI, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Lorenzo Martinez, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Los Lunas' record is now 14-8. As for Rio Grande, their record now sits at 13-9.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Los Lunas hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. However, it's not like Rio Grande struggles in that department as they've averaged .345. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Los Lunas came out on top in a nail-biter against Rio Grande in their previous meeting two weeks ago, sneaking past 4-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
