Baseball Recap: Rancho Verde Victorious

Rancho Verde's game last Thursday was a loss, but they didn't let that memory haunt them on Tuesday. They walked away with a 6-2 victory over the Canyon Springs Cougars. The win continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won three in a row.

Eli Draper

Batters Struck Out

04/29/25 @ Canyon Springs	4
04/17/25 @ Perris	3
03/01/25 vs JW North	7

Eli Draper tossed a big game, tossing six innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.

On the hitting side, Rancho Verde let David Hernandez and Ethan Montolfo run wild. Hernandez went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one stolen base, while Montolfo went 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI Hernandez has posted since back in March of 2024. Hector Rivas was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

Rancho Verde kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Canyon Springs only managed three hits.

Rancho Verde's victory bumped their record up to 15-9. As for Canyon Springs, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 10-14.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Rancho Verde will take on Rancho Christian at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. The Mustangs' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Eagles have averaged an impressive 7.5 runs per game this season. As for Canyon Springs, they will challenge Perris at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. The Panthers have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 9.25 runs per game on average), something the Cougars will no doubt try to take advantage of.