The Albuquerque Academy Chargers will venture away from home to face off against the Valley Vikings at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Albuquerque Academy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
Albuquerque Academy barely beat Los Alamos the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Chargers put the hurt on the Hilltoppers with a sharp 11-3 victory on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Chargers in their matchups with the Hilltoppers: they've now won eight in a row.
Corbett Thomas made a splash while hitting and pitching. He tossed five innings while giving up three earned runs off eight hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March.
In other pitching news, Brian Valdez looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances.
Matthew Delaney
| 03/22/25 @ Atrisco Heritage Academy | 7 |
| 03/14/25 @ Highland | 5 |
| 03/06/25 @ Navajo Prep | 4 |
| 04/15/25 vs Los Alamos | 3 |
| 03/24/25 vs Albuquerque | 3 |
| + 11 more games |
Thomas wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Matthew Delaney, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. Delaney has become a key player for Albuquerque Academy: the team is undefeated when he posts at least three RBI, but 6-9 otherwise. AJ Lenhart was another, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Albuquerque Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Valley entered their tilt with Bernalillo on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They walked away with a 10-6 victory over the Spartans.
Zach Toledo was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Toledo was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Anthony Chavez, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three stolen bases, and three runs. Another player making a difference was Elias Saiz, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Albuquerque Academy pushed their record up to 12-9 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Valley, they now have a winning record of 11-10.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Albuquerque Academy hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.7 home runs per game. However, it's not like Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.6 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Albuquerque Academy beat Valley 6-3 in their previous matchup two weeks ago. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Chargers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
