The Montwood Rams will head out to face off against the Socorro Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Montwood sitting on three straight victories and Socorro on four.
On Saturday, Montwood was able to grind out a solid win over Eastwood, taking the game 8-4.
Pia Velez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on six hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, Jaeda Quinones was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. Another player making a difference was Soph Sandoval, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.
Montwood was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .406. They are a perfect 16-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Socorro). They were the clear victors by a 21-4 margin over Coronado on Saturday. The Bulldogs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 17 games by six runs or more this season.
Danielle Lozoya made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed six innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, firing off two home runs, four runs, and five RBI while going 4-for-5. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Victoria Perez, who fired off two home runs, four RBI, and one stolen base while going 4-for-5. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Leilene Cardoza, who scored two runs and stole four bases while going 4-for-5.
Socorro's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 22-1. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Montwood, their record is now 21-6.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Montwood has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .480. However, it's not like Socorro 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.
Everything went Montwood's way against Socorro when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Montwood made off with a 13-0 victory. Will Montwood repeat their success, or does Socorro has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
