Centennial is 8-2 against Las Cruces since April of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Centennial Hawks will be playing at home against the Las Cruces Bulldawgs at 7:00 p.m. Centennial is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
Centennial is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Organ Mountain, who was ranked sixth in their home state at the time (Centennial was ranked 13th). Centennial took a 9-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of Organ Mountain on Friday.
Centennial got a good showing from Ralph Silva, who tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, Manny Grajeda made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Gilberto Torres was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Las Cruces put the finishing touches on their ninth blowout victory of the season on Friday. They put the hurt on Alamogordo with a sharp 8-2 win. The victory was familiar territory for Las Cruces who now have three in a row.
Gunnar Guardiola tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit while striking out ten over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in five consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Las Cruces got a big performance out of Ryan Padilla, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Wyatt Major, who went 2-for-3 with three runs and a triple.
Centennial's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 16-7. As for Las Cruces, their win bumped their record up to an identical 16-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Centennial has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Las Cruces struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.7. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Centennial skirted past Las Cruces 6-4 in their previous meeting back in April of 2023. Does Centennial have another victory up their sleeve, or will Las Cruces turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
