Pojoaque Valley and Espanola Valley are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2022, but likely not for long. The Elks/Elkettes will head out on the road to square off against the Sundevils at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Pojoaque Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
While Pojoaque Valley's victory against Taos wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Elks/Elkettes had just enough and edged out the Tigers 20-18. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Elks/Elkettes have posted against the Tigers since April 22, 2023.
Lilah Herrera
| 04/26/25 vs Taos | 5 |
| 04/16/25 vs Espanola Valley | 2 |
| 04/26/25 vs Taos | 1 |
| 03/22/25 vs East Mountain | 1 |
| 03/21/25 vs Albuquerque Academy | 1 |
The team relied heavily on Lilah Herrera, who went 3-for-5 with five RBI, three runs, and one triple. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Ashle Duran also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Pojoaque Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.6 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 12.4.
Meanwhile, Espanola Valley was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their seventh straight defeat. They came up short against Los Alamos, falling 15-5.
Leah Vigil and Aliya Rael-Lopez did some serious damage despite the final result: Vigil went a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI, while Rael-Lopez went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Aria Chavez, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Pojoaque Valley's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-16. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.0 runs over those games. As for Espanola Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 4-17.
Pojoaque Valley beat Espanola Valley 15-11 when the teams last played last Wednesday. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Elks/Elkettes since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
