The La Cueva Bears will challenge the Cibola Cougars at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. La Cueva is coming into the game hot, having won their last 21 games.
La Cueva is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They blew past Las Cruces 7-1. The result was nothing new for the Bears, who have now won 21 matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Liliana Montoya
| 05/10/25 vs Las Cruces | 12 |
| 05/09/25 vs Organ Mountain | 11 |
| 05/03/25 @ Sandia | 8 |
| 05/03/25 @ Sandia | 19 |
| 04/30/25 @ Rio Rancho | 9 |
| + 16 more games |
Liliana Montoya was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 21 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
In other batting news, Genesis Jaramillo was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two doubles. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Brooklyn Eardley, who went 2-for-4 with one home run.
La Cueva lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their home run total in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Cibola faced Alamogordo in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Cougars came out on top against the Tigers by a score of 5-1. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Cougars.
Gabrielle Moncada spent all seven innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on six hits and racked up ten Ks.
On the hitting side, Cibola's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Athena Joyce, who went 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
La Cueva pushed their record up to 25-3 with the victory, which was their 14th straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.9 runs over those games. As for Cibola, their victory bumped their record up to 23-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. La Cueva has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Cibola struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
La Cueva took their win against Cibola in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 24-4 score. Will the Bears repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
