McCurdy extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to six on Thursday, dropping them down to 0-5. They lost 25-9 to the Pecos Panthers. Surprisingly, this marked the fourth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor in this series.
Ryan Valdez and Victor Sanchez-Valdez stepped up to the plate in a big way. Valdez got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI, while Sanchez-Valdez went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. That RBI was Valdez's first of the season. Chris Sandoval was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
As for Pecos, with the win, they broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 3-4. With that victory, they brought their scoring average up to 8.6 runs per game.
On Pecos' side, Nikko Bencomo was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out 11 batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off one hit. Bencomo is becoming a predictor of Pecos' success: when he allows at most three earned runs the team is 2-1 (and 1-3 when he doesn't). Bencomo was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with five RBI, two runs, and one triple.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jeremiah Mondragon, who went 3-for-5 with three stolen bases, four runs, and three RBI. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Joaquin Lopez, who got on base in five of his six plate appearances with four runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. McCurdy will welcome Jemez Valley at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Warrior have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 7.17 runs per game on average), something the Bobcats will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Pecos, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Mora at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Rangers have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 11.83 runs per game on average), something the Panthers will no doubt try to take advantage of.
