The Ruidoso Warriors will square off against the Mesilla Valley Christian School SonBlazers at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
On Tuesday, Ruidoso needed a bit of extra time to put away Tularosa. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 10-9 victory over the Wildcats. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Joel Ortega
| 03/25/25 vs Tularosa | 3 |
| 03/20/25 @ Portales | 3 |
| 03/11/25 vs Capitan | 3 |
| 03/22/25 vs Socorro | 1 |
| 03/06/25 vs Roswell | 1 |
Ruidoso got a massive performance out of Joel Ortega, who scored three runs and stole four bases while going 3-for-5. Ortega is becoming a predictor of Ruidoso's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 2-5 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Carson Stratton, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-5.
Ortega wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Ruidoso kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, Mesilla Valley Christian School posted their closest win since April 6, 2024 on Saturday. They won by a run and slipped past Magdalena 7-6. The game was the first time the SonBlazers have beaten the Steers on their field since April 30, 2022.
Matt Borde and Kobe Redfearn did most of the damage at the plate: Borde went 1-for-3 with one home run, while Redfearn scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Benjamin Moreman, who scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Ruidoso pushed their record up to 5-5 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Mesilla Valley Christian School, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Ruidoso hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .343. However, it's not like Mesilla Valley Christian School struggles in that department as they've averaged .403. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
