West Mesa is preparing for their first district matchup of the season on Friday. They will head out on the road to face off against the Los Lunas Tigers at 6:00 p.m. West Mesa has given up an average of 7.5 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between West Mesa and Eldorado, and Eldorado kept the tradition alive. The Mustangs lost 16-0 to the Golden Eagles on Saturday. The shutout was out of character for the Mustangs seeing as the last time the team failed to score was back in February.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Los Lunas). Everything went their way against Atrisco Heritage Academy on Tuesday as they made off with a 16-1 win. The Tigers not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since April 12, 2024.
Matthew Castillo made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has become a key player for Los Lunas: the team is 5-2 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 4-5 otherwise. Castillo was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. That's the most runs he has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, JJ Utash and Jasiah Byers did most of the damage at the plate: Utash went 2-for-3 with one home run, six RBI, and two runs, while Byers went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most runs Byers has posted since back in April of 2024. Allen Galaviz also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Los Lunas always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .677. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Los Lunas pushed their record up to 9-7 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for West Mesa, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-9 record this season.
