Bernalillo hasn't had much luck against Albuquerque Academy recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Spartans will take on the Chargers at 4:00 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
On Wednesday, Bernalillo made easy work of Hope Christian and carried off a 17-4 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Spartans.
Uriel Castro
| 04/18/25 @ Hope Christian | 12 |
| 04/11/25 vs Albuquerque Academy | 9 |
| 03/07/25 vs Albuquerque Academy | 5 |
| 03/20/25 vs St. Michael's | 4 |
| 03/15/25 vs West Mesa | 4 |
| + 6 more games |
Uriel Castro made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Bernalillo is 3-1 when Castro allows two or fewer hits, but 8-11 otherwise. Castro was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs and two doubles. That's the most doubles he has posted since back in February.
In other batting news, Anthony Garcia was a standout: he fired off two home runs, seven RBI, and three runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. He continues to improve, besting his previous run total in each of the last three games he's played. Jacob Duran also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen bases of the season.
Bernalillo was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .615. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Albuquerque Academy). Everything went their way against Del Norte on Friday as they made off with a 24-4 victory. Winning may never get old, but the Chargers sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Brian Valdez looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Albuquerque Academy got a massive performance out of Ryan Williams, who got on base in four of his six plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Aiden Schum, who went 3-for-5 with three doubles, two runs, and two RBI.
Bernalillo's record is now 11-12. As for Albuquerque Academy, their record now sits at 15-9.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bernalillo has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .456. However, it's not like Albuquerque Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .450. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
