On Friday, Cibola faced Rio Rancho in a battle between two of the state's top teams. The Cibola Cougars came out on top in a nail-biter against the Rio Rancho Rams and snuck past 11-9. The victory was a breath of fresh air for Cibola as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Gabrielle Moncada spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six earned (and three unearned) runs on 11 hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Cibola got a massive performance out of Aunika Marquez, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Amaya Castille was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Cibola's win bumped their record up to 16-9. As for Rio Rancho, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 11-13.
Cibola will head out on the road to take on Atrisco Heritage Academy at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The last three games Cibola has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one. As for Rio Rancho, they will look to defend their home field on Tuesday against Cleveland at 6:00 p.m. Rio Rancho and Cleveland are at an even 5-5 over their past ten head-to-heads.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
