Silver is on an eight-game streak of home wins, while Artesia is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Fighting Colts will host the Bulldogs at 11:00 a.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Silver 2.8, Artesia 3.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Silver is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They blew past Aztec 7-1. The Fighting Colts might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 21 matchups by six runs or more this season.
Ariel Alvarado spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Maria Ruelaz, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Isabell Villa was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one triple and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Artesia faced Lovington in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The Bulldogs walked away with a 7-2 win over the Wildcats. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Kayden Apodaca made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Apodaca was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Jenna Whitmire was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Kambry Collins, who went 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Artesia was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .467. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .320 or higher in nine consecutive games.
Silver is on a roll lately: they've won 19 of their last 20 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 25-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Artesia, their victory bumped their record up to 22-7.
Both Silver and Artesia just can't seem to miss. The Fighting Colts have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 12.5 hits per game. However, it's not like Artesia struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Silver might still be hurting after the 14-7 defeat they got from Artesia in their previous matchup back in March. Will the Fighting Colts have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
