Baseball Recap: Shiprock Takes a Loss

Shiprock had lost five straight at home, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 7-13 to make it six. They came up short against the Aztec Tigers, falling 16-5. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Tigers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 10-0 last Tuesday.

Khalil Nakai

Runs

03/22/25 vs Tularosa	3
03/14/25 vs Dove Creek	3
04/17/25 vs Aztec	2
03/25/25 vs Zuni	2
03/24/25 vs Hozho Academy	2
+ 2 more games

Shiprock saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Khalil Nakai, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one RBI. Nakai is becoming a predictor of the Chieftains' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 4-2 (and 3-11 when he doesn't). Zach Billy also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.

As for Aztec, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-13. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games.

On Aztec's side, Dalton Wilmer was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out nine batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts Wilmer has posted since back in March. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

In other batting news, Cory Douglas was a standout: he got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run and three runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Kale Watson was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Shiprock will challenge Kirtland Central at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. As for Aztec, they will take on Bloomfield at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Tigers will need to watch out since the Bobcats have now posted at least ten runs in their last five contests.