Softball Game Preview: Cibola Cougars vs. Rio Rancho Rams

Cougars

Runs

04/04/25 vs Piedra Vista	4
04/02/25 @ Cleveland	8
03/29/25 vs Los Lunas	9
03/29/25 vs Robertson	4
03/28/25 @ Atrisco Heritage Academy	7
+ 13 more games

The Cibola Cougars will challenge the Rio Rancho Rams at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Cibola is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.

Cibola is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Piedra Vista, who was ranked tenth at the time (Cibola was ranked seventh). The Cougars narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Panthers 4-3. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Cougars.

Gabrielle Moncada was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Moncada was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Angelica Medina, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Vanessa Romero, who scored a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Rio Rancho entered their tilt with Volcano Vista on Thursday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They beat the Hawks by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 8-3.

Rio Rancho pushed their record up to 11-6 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.7 runs over those games. As for Cibola, their victory bumped their record up to 15-3.

Cibola came out on top in a nail-biter against Rio Rancho when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 11-9. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.