The Artesia Bulldogs will challenge the Lovington Wildcats at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Artesia comes in on nine and Lovington on four.
Artesia is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They were the clear victors by a 10-2 margin over Belen. The result was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who have now won 12 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Kayden Apodaca
| 05/10/25 vs Belen | 13 |
| 05/03/24 vs Portales | 12 |
| 05/01/25 @ Portales | 11 |
| 04/25/25 vs Goddard | 11 |
| 03/14/25 vs Cleveland | 11 |
Kayden Apodaca made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Those 13 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Artesia got a massive performance out of Brooklyn Fuentes, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. Those four hits gave Fuentes a new career-high. Kinsley Rodriguez was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Artesia kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in eight consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Lovington narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Los Alamos 3-1.
Sabrie Sanchez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Zemarie Ellis was incredible, going 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
Artesia's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-7. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.9 runs on average over those games. As for Lovington, their victory bumped their record up to 20-8.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Artesia hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .372. However, it's not like Lovington struggles in that department as they've averaged .319. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Artesia took their win against Lovington in their previous meeting two weeks ago by a conclusive 7-1 score. Do the Bulldogs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Wildcats turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
