It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Artesia had no problem doing just that on Friday. They skirted past the Lovington Wildcats 10-9. Artesia's victory was all the more impressive since Lovington was averaging only 2.93 runs allowed on the season.
Kayden Apodaca spent all nine innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and two unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Makayla Lujan was excellent, going 1-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Mikenzi Carlo, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
On Lovington's side, Daphne Utajara was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she struck out nine batters over eight innings while giving up six earned (and three unearned) runs off ten hits. Utajara has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Anahie Quiroga and Honey Morales stepped up to the plate in a big way. Quiroga scored two runs while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances, while Morales scored a run while going 1-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Zabri Rodriguez, who scored a run while going 1-for-5.
Artesia is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten matches, which provided a nice bump to their 21-8 record this season. As for Lovington, their loss dropped their record down to 24-6.
Artesia is on the road again on Friday to play Aztec at 1:00 p.m. Artesia is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.6 runs per game this season. Lovington does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
