Roughriders
| 03/06/25 @ Ironwood | 9 |
| 03/01/25 @ Fairfax | 21 |
| 02/28/25 @ Skyline | 6 |
| 02/27/25 @ Eastmark | 10 |
| 02/26/25 vs South Mountain | 16 |
The Youngker Roughriders will face off against the La Joya Community Fighting Lobos at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Youngker is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 12.4 runs per game this season.
Youngker barely beat Ironwood the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Youngker never let Ironwood get on the board and left with a 9-0 win on Thursday. The Roughriders haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Youngker saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mason Grado, who scored a run while going 3-for-5. Riley Carteno was another, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Grado wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Youngker kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, La Joya Community scored the most runs they've had this season on Thursday, but it wasn't enough. They fell 15-10 to Kellis.
Dominik Garcia put in work no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits (and not a single walk). Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was even better at the plate, scoring two runs while going 4-for-4. Those runs were his first of the season.
In other batting news, Gavino Bustamante was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one triple, and one run. Those stolen bases marked the first that he snagged this season. Another player making a difference was Aidan Escobedo, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Youngker's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for La Joya Community, their loss dropped their record down to 2-4.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Youngker has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .524. However, it's not like La Joya Community struggles in that department as they've averaged .447. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Youngker took their victory against La Joya Community in their previous meeting back in April of 2015 by a conclusive 10-0. Will Youngker repeat their success, or does La Joya Community have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
