The Esperanza Aztecs will head out on the road to challenge the Sonora Raiders at 3:15 p.m. on Friday. Esperanza is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.3 runs per game this season.
Esperanza gave up the first runs on Wednesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 6-2 victory over Troy. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Aztecs.
Connor Forshee
| 03/16/26 @ El Toro | 3 |
| 03/27/26 vs Yorba Linda | 2 |
| 04/08/26 @ Troy | 1 |
| 02/23/26 vs Century | 1 |
Connor Forshee spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on two hits. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Esperanza is 4-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 6-7 otherwise.
At the plate, Adrian Cortez was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was David Salholm, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Esperanza always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .526. They are 4-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Sonora didn't have quite enough to beat Yorba Linda on Wednesday and fell 5-4.
Robby Blaine was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Ryan Lietzau was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with two runs.
Esperanza's record now sits at 10-8. As for Sonora, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-7.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Esperanza has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.3 hits per game. However, it's not like Sonora struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.6 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Esperanza skirted past Sonora 3-2 in their previous matchup back in May of 2025. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Aztecs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
