The Rio Rancho Rams will be taking part in a tournament against the Albuquerque Academy Chargers at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Rio Rancho's pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so Albuquerque Academy's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Rio Rancho is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Cleveland, who was ranked second at the time (Rio Rancho was ranked fourth). The Rams lost 7-0 to the Storm on Saturday. The contest marked the first time this year in which the Rams were not able to get on the board.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Albuquerque Academy ultimately got the result they hoped for on Saturday. They had just enough and edged out Albuquerque 5-4. The Chargers haven't had any issues with the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Thomas Whitten and Aiden Schum made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Whitten tossed 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Schum tossed 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Whitten has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. At bat, Whitten went 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI, while Schum went 1-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple was Schum's first of the season.
In other pitching news, Brian Valdez looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
Back at the plate, Jace Gabaldon was excellent, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
The defeat snapped Rio Rancho's winning streak at four games and leaves them with a 11-2 record. As for Albuquerque Academy, their win bumped their record up to 8-3.
Rio Rancho was able to grind out a solid victory over Albuquerque Academy in their previous matchup back in March of 2025, winning 12-8. Do the Rams have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Chargers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
