The Portales Rams will head out on the road to square off against the St. Michael's Horsemen at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between Portales and Clovis, and Portales kept the tradition alive. The Rams put the hurt on the Wildcats with a sharp 11-1 victory on Wednesday. That's two games straight that the Rams have won by exactly ten runs.
Annaleah Lujan
| 04/02/25 vs Clovis | 10 |
| 04/02/25 vs Clovis | 6 |
| 03/29/25 vs Atrisco Heritage Academy | 3 |
| 03/29/25 vs West Mesa | 4 |
| 03/28/25 vs Robertson | 4 |
| + 3 more games |
Annaleah Lujan made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.2 strikeouts per game. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one triple, one double, and one RBI. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Myleigh Banda, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. Ashley Rangel also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, St. Michael's has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.13 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Monday. They were the clear victors by a 19-10 margin over Espanola Valley. The Horsemen's win was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.
Like Portales, St. Michael's also got a great game from a two-way player: Nadia Cedillo. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). Cedillo was even better at the plate, scoring four runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Cedillo is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: she's snagged at least one every time she's taken the field this season.
In other batting news, Mariella Ruiz was a standout: she scored four runs and stole a base while going 4-for-5. That's the most runs she has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Karolina Ruiz, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
St. Michael's was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .447. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive games.
St. Michael's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-0. The team's perfect season has a lot to do with their hitting performance: the team's won by an average of 10.4 runs thus far. As for Portales, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Portales has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like St. Michael's struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Portales skirted past St. Michael's 5-4 when the teams last played back in May of 2016. Will the Rams repeat their success, or do the Horsemen have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
