The East Mountain Timberwolves will challenge the Sandia Prep Sundevils at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. East Mountain is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9 runs per game this season.
The home team had won the previous five meetings between East Mountain and New Mexico Military Institute, and New Mexico Military Institute kept the tradition alive. The Timberwolves took a 6-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Colts on Thursday.
East Mountain saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Rylen Radosevich, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Cole Hitchcock also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Sandia Prep hadn't beaten Ruidoso on the road since May 13, 2023 but that history sure didn't bother them on Saturday. The Sundevils won by a run and slipped past the Warriors 18-17. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Sundevils have posted since April 8th.
Logan Lemons and Ethan Dudley made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Lemons tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Meanwhile, Dudley tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had over his last three matches. At bat, Lemons went 3-for-5 with two runs, one double, and one RBI, while Dudley went 1-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Lemons has become a key player for Sandia Prep: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-11 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Landon Hardcastle, who went 3-for-5 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. Sandia Prep is 7-1 when Hardcastle posts two or more runs, but 3-10 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Matteo Herrera, who went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Sandia Prep was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .513. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Sandia Prep is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-11 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.5 runs over those games. As for East Mountain, their loss dropped their record down to 16-7.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. East Mountain has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .468. However, it's not like Sandia Prep struggles in that department as they've averaged .462. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
East Mountain took their win against Sandia Prep when the teams last played two weeks ago by a conclusive 17-2 score. Will the Timberwolves repeat their success, or do the Sundevils have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
