For the second straight game, Hot Springs will face off against Hatch Valley. The Tigers will be playing at home against the Bears at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Hot Springs is on a three-game streak of home losses, and Hatch Valley a nine-game streak of away losses dating back to last season. However, someone's due for a change in luck.
Having struggled with six losses in a row, Hot Springs turned things around against Hatch Valley on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Bears with a sharp 11-1 victory. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matchups by ten runs or more this season.
Tristan Polanco
| 04/21/26 @ Hatch Valley | 2 |
| 04/09/26 vs Cobre | 1 |
| 04/07/26 @ Cobre | 1 |
| 03/28/26 vs Non Varsity Tournament Opponent | 1 |
| 04/23/25 vs Hatch Valley | 1 |
Max Legarda and Tristan Polanco made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Legarda pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Polanco struck out six batters over 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Legarda is becoming a predictor of Hot Springs' success: when he allows at most one hit the team is 2-1 (and 7-11 when he doesn't). At bat, Legarda got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs and two RBI, while Polanco went 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. Those two doubles gave Polanco a new career-high.
In other batting news, Bodee Rainer was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Billy Baca, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Hot Springs always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .550. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Hot Springs' win bumped their record up to 9-12. As for Hatch Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-17.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hot Springs has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hatch Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
