The Albuquerque Bulldogs will head out on the road to take on the Atrisco Heritage Academy Jaguars at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Albuquerque has given up an average of 7 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Albuquerque is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Los Lunas, who was ranked 14th at the time (Albuquerque was ranked 25th). The Bulldogs came up short against the Tigers on Friday, falling 18-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Bulldogs have suffered against the Tigers since June 12, 2021.
Annika Stanley was cooking despite her team's loss, firing off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 2-for-3. Honey Fields also deserves some recognition as she launched her first home run of the season.
Meanwhile, Atrisco Heritage Academy had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Saturday. They put the hurt on the Knights with a sharp 15-0 victory. Considering the Jaguars have won six contests by more than nine runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Savannah Lujan made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. What's more, she posted three strikeouts, the most she's had since back in March of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Aalyiah Chavez was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with two triples, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last 12 matches. Another player making a difference was Jazelle Romero, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Atrisco Heritage Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .586. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Del Norte only posted an OBP of .273.
Atrisco Heritage Academy pushed their record up to 14-5 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.8 runs over those games. As for Albuquerque, the loss snapped their winning streak at four games and leaves them with a 11-7 record.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. Albuquerque hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.9 home runs per game. However, it's not like Atrisco Heritage Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.9 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Albuquerque couldn't quite get it done against Atrisco Heritage Academy in their previous matchup back in March as they fell 7-4. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
