Las Cruces is 2-8 against Hobbs since March of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. Las Cruces will be playing in front of their home fans against Hobbs at 4:30 p.m. Las Cruces' pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Hobbs' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Las Cruces' tournament run continued when they took on IDEA Rio Vista College Preparatory on Saturday. Las Cruces came out on top against IDEA Rio Vista College Preparatory by a score of 7-3.
Xander Parra made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing six innings while giving up just two earned runs off eight hits. What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in May of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bubba Urenda, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. What's more, he posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Adrian Whitman, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Hobbs won against IDEA Rio Vista College Preparatory on Friday with 15 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Saturday. Hobbs blew past Da Vinci 15-1. That 14 run margin sets a new team best for the Eagles this season.
Chase Brister tossed a big game, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits.
At the plate, Cole Kesner was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple marked the first that he hit this season. Christian Montes was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Hobbs always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .606. They are 2-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
The victory made it two in a row for Hobbs and bumps their season record up to 4-10. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.0 runs over those games. As for Las Cruces, their victory bumped their record up to 7-2.
Las Cruces might still be hurting after the 10-3 defeat they got from Hobbs when the teams last played back in March of 2023. Can Las Cruces avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
