Belen hasn't had much luck against Aztec recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Eagles will head out to square off against the Tigers at 9:00 a.m. Aztec took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Belen, who comes in off a win.
Belen is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Los Alamos a 16-0 shutout. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 games by ten runs or more this season.
Lorissa Scott made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one double.
Araceli Franco
| 05/15/25 @ Los Alamos | 4 |
| 05/10/25 @ Gallup | 3 |
| 04/29/25 vs Grants | 3 |
| 04/10/25 @ Grants | 3 |
| 03/29/25 @ Moriarty | 3 |
In other batting news, Araceli Franco was a standout: she went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, five RBI, and one double. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Shyla Rocha was another key player, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Belen always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .639. They are 11-3 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Aztec faced Silver in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The Tigers came up short against the Fighting Colts, falling 7-1. Having soared to a lofty 14 runs in the game before, the Tigers couldn't push the score so high this time.
Kamora Henry spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and four unearned) runs on seven hits.
On the hitting side, Aztec saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Madeline Kaiser, who went 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Belen is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-13 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.2 runs over those games. As for Aztec, their loss dropped their record down to 18-12.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Belen hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .482. However, it's not like Aztec struggles in that department as they've averaged .422. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Belen came up short against Aztec when the teams last played back in May of 2022, falling 10-5. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
