Softball Game Preview: Cienega Bobcats vs. Nogales Apaches

Cienega has gone a perfect 10-0 against Nogales recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Bobcats will be playing in front of their home fans against the Apaches at 5:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Cienega has six straight wins, Nogales has seven straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Cienega is returning to their home field after beating Flowing Wells on theirs, despite the fact Flowing Wells has dominated at home this season. The Bobcats blew past the Caballeros 18-7 on Wednesday. Considering the Bobcats have won 16 games by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.

Sophia Butt and Maya Fimbres were a major factor no matter where they played. Throwing, Butt pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Fimbres struck out six batters over 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. At bat, Butt scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5, while Fimbres scored two runs while going 1-for-3. The dominant performance also gave Butt a new career-high in triples (two).

Isabel Mendoza

Runs (Career)

04/09/25 @ Flowing Wells	4
04/22/24 vs Ironwood Ridge	3
04/04/24 @ Nogales	3
03/25/25 @ Buena	2
03/13/25 vs Vista Grande	2

In other batting news, Isabel Mendoza and Allison Mullen did most of the damage at the plate: Mendoza scored four runs while going 3-for-4, while Mullen went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Those four runs gave Mendoza a new career-high. Micaela Valenzuela was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-5.

Cienega was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .459. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .407 or higher in six consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Nogales fell victim to Walden Grove and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They came up short against the Red Wolves, falling 10-0.

Cienega's victory bumped their record up to 19-6. As for Nogales, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-16.

Cienega took their win against Nogales when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 19-0 score. Do the Bobcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Apaches turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.