Baseball Game Preview: La Villa Cardinals vs. Monte Alto Blue Devil

The La Villa Cardinals will be taking part in a tournament against the Monte Alto Blue Devil at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. Monte Alto took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on La Villa, who comes in off a win.

La Villa barely beat IDEA Edinburg College Prep the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. La Villa's pitcher stepped up to hand IDEA Edinburg College Prep a 15-0 shutout on Thursday. That looming 15-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Cardinals yet this season.

Andrew Gonzalez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Gonzalez was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.

In other batting news, Aiden Rangel was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 1-for-1. Those runs were his first of the season. Joe Reyes was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-1.

La Villa always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .708. The last time their OBP was this high was back in March of 2024.

Meanwhile, Monte Alto had to hit the road for their first game and it wasn't the result they were hoping for. They lost 15-0 to Rio Hondo on Thursday. Sadly, the defeat continues a streak the team started last season, making it nine in a row.

La Villa is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a massive bump to their 3-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. Monte Alto's loss dropped their record down to 0-1.

La Villa beat Monte Alto 4-1 when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Does La Villa have another victory up their sleeve, or will Monte Alto turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.