The Ponderosa Mustangs will venture away from home to take on the Arapahoe Warriors at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Ponderosa is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
Ponderosa took a loss when they played away from home last Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out Falcon 9-8. The victory continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Falcons: they've now won four in a row.
Nick Moe looked comfortable as he tossed 1.1 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 walk in five consecutive appearances.
Isai Santaella
| 03/07/25 @ Palisade | 4 |
| 03/26/25 vs Falcon | 2 |
| 03/18/25 vs Damonte Ranch | 2 |
| 03/19/25 @ O'Connor | 1 |
| 03/17/25 @ Tolleson | 1 |
| + 3 more games |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Isai Santaella, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. He has become a key player for Ponderosa: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-3 otherwise. Grady Jacobs also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, Arapahoe didn't have quite enough to beat El Camino on Thursday and fell 10-9.
Gussie Maynard led a balanced group of hitters, scoring a run while going 2-for-4. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyson Watson, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.
Even though they lost, Arapahoe kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Ponderosa pushed their record up to 5-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Arapahoe, their loss dropped their record down to 4-3.
Arapahoe's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Ponderosa has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.9 hits per game. It's a different story for Arapahoe, though, as they've been averaging 10.3 hits. Given Ponderosa's sizable advantage in that area, Arapahoe will need to find a way to close that gap.
Ponderosa might still be hurting after the 12-5 defeat they got from Arapahoe in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can Ponderosa avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
