The Raton Tigers will head out to challenge the Estancia Bears at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Raton took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. Everything went their way against Tucumcari as they made off with a 20-10 victory.
Chase Middlebrook
| 04/21/25 vs Tucumcari | 3 |
| 04/18/25 @ Santa Rosa | 1 |
| 04/17/25 vs Robertson | 1 |
| 04/14/25 vs Pecos | 1 |
| 04/04/25 @ Tucumcari | 1 |
The team relied heavily on Chase Middlebrook, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, three doubles, and four RBI. Those three doubles gave him a new career-high. Chris Ortega was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs and two RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Raton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Tucumcari only managed eight hits.
Meanwhile, Estancia got the win against Thoreau on Thursday by a conclusive 12-2. Considering the Bears have won five contests by more than nine runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Justin Rubio made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Estancia let Joshua Villafuerte and Michael Anaya run wild. Villafuerte got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases and four runs, while Anaya went 3-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. Estancia is 4-2 when Villafuerte posts two or more runs, but 2-6 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Dominic Seecamp, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Raton is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight games. That's provided a massive bump to their 8-10 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for Estancia, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-8.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Raton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .465. However, it's not like Estancia struggles in that department as they've averaged .537. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Raton took their win against Estancia in their previous matchup on April 8th by a conclusive 16-7 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
