The Silver Slvr Ftg Colts will face off against the Aztec Tigers at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Silver comes in on 14 and Aztec on nine.
Silver is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They never let Belen get on the board and left with a 20-0 victory. Considering the Slvr Ftg Colts have won 15 matchups by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Azariah Madrid made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Vanessa Lucero and Mia Sanchez did most of the damage at the plate: Lucero went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two doubles, while Sanchez went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. That's the most doubles Lucero has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Isabell Villa, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Silver always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .758. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Aztec faced Kirtland Central in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Tigers came out on top in a nail-biter against the Broncos, sneaking past 1-0. The Tigers' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last three games.
Not much got past Kamora Henry, who gave up just three hits and racked up 18 Ks to keep Kirtland Central off the board.
At the plate, Aztec's win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Ayasha Yellow, who went 1-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Silver's victory bumped their record up to 21-7. As for Aztec, their win bumped their record up to 20-5.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Silver hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .379. However, it's not like Aztec struggles in that department as they've averaged .346. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Silver's way against Aztec when the teams last played back in March, as Silver made off with a 15-8 victory. Do the Slvr Ftg Colts have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.