The Sonora Raiders will challenge the Esperanza Aztecs at 3:15 p.m. on Monday. The last three games Sonora has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
South Gate hit Sonora with a five-run sixth inning on Saturday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Raiders fell just short of the Rams by a score of 5-4.
Luke Crowder was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, Anthony Abad made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Esperanza, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 12-3 margin over South East on Saturday. The Aztecs not only won on Saturday, but they posted their biggest win since March 29th (when they won 13-2).
Adam Tway was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. He has become a key player for Esperanza: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 6-16 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Gavin Faur, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Esperanza always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Esperanza's win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 10-16. As for Sonora, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-11.
Sonora took their victory against Esperanza when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 13-1 score. Will the Raiders repeat their success, or do the Aztecs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
