A feisty cat fight will be fought as Deming Wildcats take on Alamogordo Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Deming sitting on three straight victories and Alamogordo on five.
On Wednesday, Deming needed a bit of extra time to put away Gadsden. They had just enough and edged out the Panthers 7-6. Seven seems to be a good number for the Wildcats as the squad scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Estevan Mariscal was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over four innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in March of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple and one RBI. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in hits.
Daniel Porras
| 03/05/25 @ Gadsden | 6 |
| 03/26/24 @ Centennial | 2 |
| 03/01/24 vs Las Cruces | 2 |
| 03/23/24 vs Goddard | 1 |
| 03/16/24 vs Santa Teresa | 1 |
In other pitching news, Daniel Porras looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
Back at the plate, Daniel Mosier was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Chris Olvera also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Deming kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in three consecutive contests.
While Alamogordo didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-18), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They came out on top against New Mexico Military Institute by a score of 5-1 on Saturday.
Kelan Wall spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up ten Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Brandon Williams, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Preston Eldred, who went 2-for-3 with one triple and two RBI.
Alamogordo's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-0. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. As for Deming, their record now sits at 5-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Deming has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Alamogordo struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Deming came out on top in a nail-biter against Alamogordo when the teams last played back in April of 2022, sneaking past 7-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for Deming since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
