Raton is 0-10 against West Las Vegas since May of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit in Saturday's first game. The Raton Tigers will be playing in front of their home fans against the West Las Vegas Dons at 11:00 a.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Raton scored the most runs they've had all season to find success in Thursday's second game. They blew past Santa Fe Indian 22-1. The victory was nothing new for Raton as they're now sitting on five straight.
Haydyn Middlebrook and Giana Marez made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Middlebrook pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (she also didn't allow any walks). Meanwhile, Marez pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. At bat, Middlebrook scored a run while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances, while Marez went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and a triple.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brooklyn Marquez, who went 4-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Another player making a difference was Elaina Gigante, who scored three runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, West Las Vegas faced Tularosa in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. West Las Vegas put the hurt on Tularosa with a sharp 9-2 win. Winning may never get old, but West Las Vegas sure is getting used to it with their ninth in a row.
Like Raton, West Las Vegas also got a great game from a two-way player: Malie Satete. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits (and only one walk). Satete has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive pitching appearances. Satete was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Alexis Pacheco was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3. She is on a roll when it comes to home runs, as she's now launched at least one in the last four games she's played. Tyra Horner was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Raton pushed their record up to 9-3 with that victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.3 runs per game. As for West Las Vegas, their win bumped their record up to 9-1.
Both Raton and West Las Vegas just can't seem to miss. Raton has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.1 hits per game. However, it's not like West Las Vegas struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.2. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Raton suffered a grim 14-4 defeat to West Las Vegas in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Can Raton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
