The Manzano Monarchs will challenge the West Mesa Mustangs at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. West Mesa took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Manzano, who comes in off a win.
Manzano will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Tuesday, then bounced right back against Highland on Thursday. Manzano blew past Highland 24-8.
Aljaris Pineda was incredible, firing off two home runs, six RBI, and four runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Dayton Clay was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Manzano always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .619. The last time their OBP was this high was since the start of last season.
Meanwhile, West Mesa fell victim to Valley and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They came up short against the Vikings, falling 12-0. The defeat continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Vikings: they've now lost six in a row.
Manzano's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for West Mesa, they now also have a losing record of 1-2.
Manzano's speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's matchup. Manzano has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for West Mesa, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Manzano continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went Manzano's way against West Mesa in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, as Manzano made off with a 14-0 win. Does Manzano have another victory up their sleeve, or will West Mesa turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
