Lytle is a perfect 10-0 against Natalia since April of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Pirates will face off against the Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. Lytle will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
Lytle barely beat Crystal City the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Pirates blew past the Javelinas 16-2 on Thursday. With that win, the Pirates brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
Weston Jackson made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits (and not a single walk). He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs. He is becoming a predictor of Lytle's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 10-11 when he doesn't).
Damien Barco
| 04/17/25 vs Crystal City | 3 |
| 04/11/25 vs Dilley | 2 |
| 04/01/25 @ Crystal City | 2 |
| 03/25/25 @ Dilley | 2 |
| 02/17/25 vs Holy Cross | 2 |
In other batting news, Damien Barco and Mason Hill did most of the damage at the plate: Barco went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, while Hill went 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Those three hits gave Barco a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Juan Patlan, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two RBI and one run.
Lytle was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .545. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .370 or higher in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Natalia came up short against Hondo on Thursday, falling 16-2.
Natalia saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Andrew Arizola, who went 1-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Lytle's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-11. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Natalia, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost eight of their last nine games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-17 record this season.
Natalia's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lytle hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .317. It's a different story for Natalia, though, as they've only averaged .219. Will they be able to contain Lytle's hitters?
Lytle came out on top in a nail-biter against Natalia in their previous meeting two weeks ago, sneaking past 6-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pirates since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
