Softball Game Preview: Raton Tigers vs. Clayton Yellowjackets

Raton has gone a perfect 4-0 against Clayton recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Saturday. The Tigers will host the Yellowjackets at 11:00 a.m. The timing is sure in Raton's favor as the squad sits on five straight wins at home while Clayton has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road.

It was a proper cat-fight when Raton faced off against Santa Rosa on Friday. The Tigers put the hurt on the Lions with a sharp 21-3 victory. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by 15 runs or more this season.

Jaylynn Quintana made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going 2-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and one triple. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high.

Brooklyn Marquez

Hits (Career)

04/18/25 @ Santa Rosa	4
04/18/25 @ Santa Rosa	2
04/15/25 vs Pecos	2
03/29/25 vs Taos	2
04/15/25 vs Pecos	1

In other batting news, Brooklyn Marquez was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with five runs, two stolen bases, and three RBI. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Jennifer Mattorano, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.

Raton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .636. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.

Meanwhile, Clayton lost 18-3 to Estancia on Thursday.

Raton is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten games. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-9 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Clayton, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-10.

Everything went Raton's way against Clayton in their previous matchup back in June of 2021, as Raton made off with a 23-8 victory. Do the Tigers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Yellowjackets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.