Softball Recap: Rio Rancho Takes a Loss

Rio Rancho extended their losing streak to three on Wednesday, dropping their season record down to 15-10 in the process. They came up short against the La Cueva Bears, falling 12-2. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Bears this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 14-0 back in March.

As for La Cueva, they pushed their record up to 21-3 with the victory, which was their 14th straight on the road dating back to last season. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games.

For La Cueva's part, Liliana Montoya made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Montoya has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 17 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one double and one RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Elizabeth Hoggan, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two RBI, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Brooklyn Eardley, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Rio Rancho will square off against Cleveland at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. As for La Cueva, they will take on Sandia at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Bears' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Matadors have averaged an impressive 8.8 runs per game this season.