The West Mesa Mustangs will take on the Manzano Monarchs at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
West Mesa is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Volcano Vista, who was ranked 16th at the time (West Mesa was ranked 24th). West Mesa came up short against Volcano Vista on Wednesday, falling 13-3. The Mustangs just can't catch a break and have now endured four losses in a row.
Ellie Padilla and Mya Baca stepped up to the plate in a big way. Padilla went 2-for-3 with one triple, one double, and one RBI, while Baca scored a run while going 2-for-3. That double marked the first that Padilla hit this season. Another player making a difference was Christina ' Ocho' Perez, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 21 runs the game before, Manzano was a bit more limited in their matchup on Wednesday. They lost 16-1 to Rio Rancho. The Monarchs have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Sophia Rios Duvall was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run and stealing Three bases. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played. Shania Aragon was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases.
Manzano's defeat dropped their record down to 2-6. As for West Mesa, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 2-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. West Mesa has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Manzano struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
West Mesa took their win against Manzano in their previous matchup back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 18-2. Does West Mesa have another victory up their sleeve, or will Manzano turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
