The West Mesa Mustangs are taking a road trip to square off against the Valencia Jaguars at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. West Mesa is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season.
West Mesa took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They had just enough and edged out Moriarty 10-9. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Mustangs have posted since March 28, 2024.
Daniel Rodriguez and Matthew Rodriguez were a major factor no matter where they played. On the mound, Rodriguez pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Matthew tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off six hits. That's the fewest hits Daniel has allowed since back in March of 2024. At the plate, Rodriguez scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances, while Matthew went a perfect 3-for-3 with one RBI. Those three hits gave Matthew a new career-high.
In other batting news, Ayden Gonzales was a standout: he scored a run while going 2-for-4. Jacob White was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
West Mesa always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .559. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Moriarty only posted an OBP of .333.
Meanwhile, Valencia narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Moriarty 5-3.
Like West Mesa, Valencia also got a great game from a two-way player: Brady Hoefler. On the mound, he struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits (and not a single walk). Hoefler was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one RBI.
In other batting news, Ancel Rossell and Pryce Henry did most of the damage at the plate: Rossell scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-4, while Henry scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-3. Henry also scored two runs, which is notable because Valencia is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 2-3 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Zaylon Zamora, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one RBI.
Valencia is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. West Mesa's record is now 5-6.
West Mesa might still be hurting after the 19-12 defeat they got from Valencia in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can West Mesa avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
