Softball Preview: Aztec Tigers vs. Lovington Wildcats
Aztec has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will take on the Lovington Wildcats at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Aztec is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They were the clear victor by a 14-4 margin over Los Alamos.
Kamora Henry made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Henry has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in seven consecutive pitching appearances. Henry was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Reagan Bradshaw, who fired off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 2-for-3. Elena Talamante was another key contributor, going 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Lovington waltzed into their game on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They never let the Chargers onto the board and left with a 10-0 victory.
Albuquerque Academy's batters probably weren't too happy with Daphne Utajara, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 14 Ks.
At the plate, Honey Morales was incredible, going 3-for-3 with four RBI, a stolen base, and a run. Another player making a difference was Anahie Quiroga, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Aztec is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 17-10 record this season. As for Lovington, their win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 23-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Aztec has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Lovington struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Aztec skirted past Lovington 4-2 when the teams last played back in May of 2018. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Lovington's Kaeleigh Smith-Vega, who struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off eight hits. Now that she won't be playing on Thursday, will it be that much easier for Aztec to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
