The Cienega Bobcats will head out to challenge the Mica Mountain Thunderbolts at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Cienega's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Mica Mountain's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Cienega is headed into the matchup having just posted their closest victory since May 2, 2024 on Monday. They came out on top against Sunnyside by a score of 6-4 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game).
Isabel Mendoza was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Sophia Butt, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Mica Mountain came up short against Mountain View on Friday and fell 9-4.
Mica Mountain saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Acelynn-Rose Heston, who scored a run while going 2-for-4. Violet Suarez was another, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
Even though they lost, Mica Mountain always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .513. This was only their first loss (out of four games) when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Mica Mountain's loss ended a seven-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 5-4. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. As for Cienega, they picked up their first home win, bumping their record up to 6-3.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Cienega hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .371. However, it's not like Mica Mountain struggles in that department as they've averaged .410. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cienega took their victory against Mica Mountain in their previous matchup two weeks ago by a conclusive 10-4. Will Cienega repeat their success, or does Mica Mountain have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
