The East Mountain Timberwolves will take on the New Mexico Military Institute Colts at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with East Mountain sitting on 14 straight wins and New Mexico Military Institute on five.
East Mountain's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over Ruidoso. The result was nothing new for the Timberwolves, who have now won 12 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Not much got past Quinlan Gwyther, who gave up just three hits and racked up seven Ks to keep Ruidoso off the board. Gwyther has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Rylen Radosevich was incredible, firing off three home runs and six RBI while going 3-for-4. What's more, he posted three runs, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Zane Davis, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs.
They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: East Mountain lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
New Mexico Military Institute came out on top against Bosque on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive 14-run second inning. The Colts put the hurt on the Bobcats with a sharp 21-6 victory. The Colts are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the tenth game they've won by 6+ runs this season.
Grant Maloney made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Maloney was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
In other batting news, Javier Yepiz Galindo was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of New Mexico Military Institute's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 5-6 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Nicolas Barcelo Teran, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
East Mountain pushed their record up to 16-5 with the win, which was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.9 runs over those games. As for New Mexico Military Institute, their record now sits at 14-6.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. East Mountain has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .483. However, it's not like New Mexico Military Institute 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.
East Mountain skirted past New Mexico Military Institute 3-2 in their previous matchup two weeks ago. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Timberwolves since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
