The Cibola Cougars will square off against the Organ Mountain Knights at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Cibola is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They blew past Farmington 13-2. Cibola might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won 11 matchups by eight runs or more this season.
Gabrielle Moncada made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits (and only one walk). Moncada has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in seven consecutive pitching appearances. Moncada was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Amaya Castille, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played. Presley Peek-Ruscetti was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Organ Mountain came into Friday's contest having lost six straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They skirted past Hobbs 2-1.
Hannah Justus spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up ten Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Danali Garces, who went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run. The team also got some help courtesy of Leah Melero, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
The win (which was Cibola's third in a row) raised their record to 18-9. As for Organ Mountain, their victory bumped their record up to 15-12.
Thursday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Cibola hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .398. However, it's not like Organ Mountain struggles in that department as they've averaged .348. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cibola came out on top in a nail-biter against Organ Mountain in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, sneaking past 9-7. Does Cibola have another victory up their sleeve, or will Organ Mountain turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
