Desert View hasn't had much luck against Cienega recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Jaguars will face off against the Bobcats at 6:00 p.m. Desert View is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.9 runs per game this season.
Desert View took a ten-run loss the last time they faced off against Buena, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Jaguars had just enough and edged out the Colts 12-10. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Jaguars have posted since March 1st.
Orlando Pinedo
| 04/17/25 vs Buena | 5 |
| 03/25/25 vs Pueblo | 4 |
| 03/12/25 vs Marana | 4 |
| 02/28/25 vs Campo Verde | 2 |
| 03/15/24 vs Tanque Verde | 2 |
Orlando Pinedo made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five). He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
In other batting news, Jorge Zazueta was incredible, firing off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-4. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Mark Hollonbeck, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Desert View was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Buena only posted a batting average of .290.
Meanwhile, Cienega hadn't done well against Nogales recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Bobcats' pitcher stepped up to hand the Apaches an 11-0 shutout. Considering the Bobcats have won eight contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Not much got past LUTE CHAVEZ, who gave up just two hits and racked up seven Ks to keep Nogales off the board. CHAVEZ has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on ANTHONY MONTEZ, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Cienega's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 7-8 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of JAMES LINZMEYER, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Desert View's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-6. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Cienega, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-8 record this season.
Both Desert View and Cienega just can't seem to miss. The Jaguars have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10 hits per game. However, it's not like Cienega struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.6 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Desert View skirted past Cienega 3-1 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Jaguars repeat their success, or do the Bobcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
