The Tularosa Wildcats will square off against the Melrose Buffaloes at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the pair posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Tularosa can now show off three landslide victories after their most recent game on Thursday. Everything went their way against Cimarron as Tularosa made off with an 11-1 win. With that victory, Tularosa brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
Ricky Bryant made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned run or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). Bryant was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Davin Mendez, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Ayden Esquero was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Melrose had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4 runs), and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. Everything went their way against the Bobcats as they made off with a 12-2 win. That looming 12-2 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Melrose yet this season.
Like Tularosa, Melrose also got a great game from a two-way player: Mike Cardonita. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and only one walk). Cardonita was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, Melrose let Max Sena and Cy Draper loose on the outfield. Sena scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2, while Draper went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Jaxon Odom, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Tularosa has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 4-4 record this season. As for Melrose, their record now sits at 3-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Tularosa has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Melrose struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.2. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Tularosa took their victory against Melrose when the teams last played back in March of 2022 by a conclusive 10-3. Does Tularosa have another victory up their sleeve, or will Melrose turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
