The Dolores Bears will face off against the Nucla Mustangs at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
On Saturday, Dolores needed a bit of extra time to put away Ignacio. They had just enough and edged out the Bobcats 11-10. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bears have posted against the Bobcats since April 21, 2018.
Gus Vaughn was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 4.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk). Vaughn was also big at the plate, going 3-for-6 with one run, one double, and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2025.
Branson Lee
| 04/11/26 vs Ignacio | 3 |
| 04/07/26 @ Dove Creek | 3 |
| 04/07/26 @ Dove Creek | 2 |
| 03/31/26 @ Nucla | 2 |
| 03/19/26 @ Pagosa Springs | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
In other batting news, Branson Lee and Levi Hampton did most of the damage at the plate: Lee went 3-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Hampton got on base in four of his six plate appearances with three runs and one double. Lee has become a key player for Dolores: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 0-5 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Kooper Thomas, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
Dolores kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are 3-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Nucla had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 10-9 W against the Cardinals. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Mustangs have posted since April 28, 2025.
Jonah Richardson and Jackson McCabe made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Richardson pitched 3.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, McCabe pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Richardson has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, Richardson went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI, while McCabe went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Nucla let Daniel Zunich and Jacob Davis run wild. Zunich went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base, while Davis went 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That stolen base was Zunich's first of the season.
Dolores' win bumped their record up to 3-6. As for Nucla, their victory bumped their record up to 4-5.
Nucla's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Dolores has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Nucla, though, as they've been averaging only 3.3 strikeouts. Will Dolores keep running through batters, or will the Mustangs buck the trend?
Everything went Dolores' way against Nucla in their previous matchup two weeks ago, as Dolores made off with a 24-6 win. Do the Bears have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
