The Chaparral Lobos will face off against the Hot Springs Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Chaparral saw some tournament action on Friday. They walked away with a 10-5 victory over Miyamura. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Lobos.
Michael Molina and Israel Nieto were a major factor no matter where they played. On the mound, Molina struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Nieto tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-low in walks (zero). At bat, Molina scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-2, while Nieto scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Diego Ramirez
| 03/01/25 vs Lovington | 3 |
| 03/21/25 @ Miyamura | 2 |
| 03/20/25 @ Cobre | 2 |
| 03/05/25 @ Cobre | 1 |
| 03/01/25 vs Lovington | 1 |
In other batting news, Diego Ramirez and Carlos Torres did most of the damage at the plate: Ramirez went 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Torres went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. Chaparral is undefeated when Ramirez posts two or more runs, but 3-4 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Robert Ramos, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Chaparral always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .538. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Hot Springs). Everything went their way against Capitan on Thursday as Hot Springs made off with a 17-4 win. With that victory, Hot Springs brought their scoring average up to 8 runs per game.
Hunter Montoya made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Montoya was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. What's more, he posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Hot Springs got a massive performance out of Ashton Garcia, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Billy Baca was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three doubles, and two runs.
Chaparral pushed their record up to 6-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Hot Springs, their win bumped their record up to 3-1-1.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Chaparral has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .476. However, it's not like Hot Springs struggles in that department as they've averaged .468. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Chaparral took their victory against Hot Springs in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 14-0. Does Chaparral have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hot Springs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
