Bernalillo and Hope Christian are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2023, but likely not for long. The Spartans will be playing at home against the Huskies at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Bernalillo is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with five defeats in a row, Bernalillo turned things around against Del Norte on Tuesday. They blew past the Knights 15-5.
Christian Sanchez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (three). He was even better at the plate, going 2-for-3 with four stolen bases and three runs. Bernalillo is 2-1 when Sanchez posts two or more stolen bases, but 8-11 otherwise.
Uriel Castro
| 04/04/25 @ Del Norte | 3 |
| 03/27/25 @ Pojoaque Valley | 3 |
| 03/15/25 vs West Mesa | 3 |
| 03/01/25 vs Pojoaque Valley | 3 |
| 02/28/25 @ Capital | 3 |
| + 8 more games |
In other batting news, Uriel Castro was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with four stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Bernalillo's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 7-2 (and 3-10 when he doesn't). Ulisses Castro was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI.
Bernalillo kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 5-2 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Hope Christian faced Albuquerque Academy in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. The Huskies fell just short of the Chargers by a score of 3-1. The Huskies were red-hot at the plate heading into the game (they scored no less than ten runs in the four matchups prior), but the Chargers' pitchers proved too tough.
Luciano Gabaldon was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits.
On the hitting side, Hope Christian saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Porter Chastain, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI. Another was Brady McGahie, who got on base in two of his three plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Bernalillo's victory bumped their record up to 10-12. As for Hope Christian, the loss snapped their winning streak at four games and leaves them with a 14-7 record.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bernalillo has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hope Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bernalillo suffered a grim 10-3 defeat to Hope Christian in their previous matchup on Friday. Will the Spartans have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
