The Hot Springs Tigers will head out on the road to face off against the Chaparral Lobos at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Hot Springs is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
Hot Springs had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 13-run drubbing they dealt Capitan on Thursday. Hot Springs blew past Capitan 17-4. The match marked Hot Springs' most dominant win of the season so far.
Hunter Montoya
| 03/20/25 @ Capitan | 3 |
| 03/17/25 @ Lordsburg | 2 |
| 03/13/25 vs Mescalero Apache | 2 |
| 04/27/24 @ Cobre | 2 |
| 04/20/24 vs Hatch Valley | 2 |
Hunter Montoya was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Montoya was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Those three runs gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Hot Springs got a massive performance out of Ashton Garcia, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Billy Baca was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three doubles, and two runs.
Hot Springs hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Chaparral beat Miyamura 10-5 on Friday.
Like Hot Springs, Chaparral also got a great game from a two-way player: Michael Molina. Throwing, Molina struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Israel Nieto pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Molina has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. At the plate, Molina scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-2, while Nieto scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, Chaparral let Diego Ramirez and Carlos Torres run wild. Ramirez went 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Torres went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. Ramirez has become a key player for Chaparral: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-4 otherwise. Nicolas Flores also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Chaparral's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-4. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Hot Springs, their record is now 3-1-1.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hot Springs has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .468. However, it's not like Chaparral struggles in that department as they've averaged .476. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hot Springs suffered a grim 14-0 defeat to Chaparral in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can Hot Springs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
