The Centennial Hawks will square off against the La Cueva Bears at 11:00 a.m. on Friday. Centennial will come into the match with an undefeated record on the line.
Centennial is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They came out on top against Mayfield by a score of 12-8. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last three times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Destiny Perez made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and seven unearned) runs off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Centennial got a massive performance out of Addie Moccia, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Brooklyn Milam was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Centennial kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, La Cueva faced Cibola in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The Bears had just enough and edged out the Cougars 4-3. Winning may never get old, but the Bears sure are getting used to it with their 22nd in a row.
Liliana Montoya spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on five hits and racked up 14 Ks.
At the plate, La Cueva saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alex Fox, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Another was Genesis Jaramillo, who earned two runs and two stolen bases.
Centennial's victory was their 25th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 28-0. The team's perfect season has a lot to do with their hitting performance: the team's won by an average of 9.1 runs thus far. As for La Cueva, their record now sits at 26-3.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Centennial hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .434. However, it's not like La Cueva struggles in that department as they've averaged .444. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Centennial couldn't quite get it done against La Cueva in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 as they fell 10-6. Can the Hawks avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
