The Canutillo Eagles will challenge the Montwood Rams at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Fans were treated to a battle of the Eagles on Tuesday. Canutillo fell just short of San Elizario by a score of 6-5.
Alina Banda was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those zero hits allowed gave her a new career-low. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Abigail Lujan was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Isabella Salazar, who scored a run while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, Montwood had already won nine in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.6 runs) and they went ahead and made it ten on Tuesday. Everything went their way against the Knights as they made off with a 20-6 win. The result was nothing new for the Rams, who have now won 12 contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Soph Sandoval was a standout: she got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. She is also on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. Jaeda Quinones was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two triples, three runs, and two RBI.
Montwood always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .675. The last time their OBP was this high was back in March of 2024.
Canutillo's loss ended a six-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 10-8-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.0 runs over those games. As for Montwood, they pushed their record up to 17-5 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Canutillo has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .453. However, it's not like Montwood struggles in that department as they've averaged .479. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
