The Hozho Academy Wolves will venture away from home to take on the Estancia Bears at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Hozho Academy sitting on nine straight wins and Estancia on 23.
Hozho Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out Loving 3-1.
Alysha Skeets spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
Iris Albert
| 05/14/25 @ Loving | 1 |
| 05/07/25 @ Lordsburg | 1 |
| 05/07/25 vs Jal | 3 |
| 05/01/25 vs Navajo Pine | 1 |
| 05/01/25 vs Navajo Pine | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
On the hitting side, Hozho Academy saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Iris Albert, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run. Albert is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last seven games she's played. Another was Mia Baca, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Estancia made easy work of Rehoboth Christian on Wednesday and carried off a 15-4 victory. The result was nothing new for the Bears, who have now won 22 contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Jhenna Valencia was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Valencia was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Peyton Looper, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in May of 2024. Molli Garcia was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Estancia was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .531. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .346 or higher in 17 consecutive games.
Estancia's win was their tenth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 27-2. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 9.7 runs. As for Hozho Academy, their record now sits at 24-5.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hozho Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .586. However, it's not like Estancia struggles in that department as they've averaged .627. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
