The Cibola Raiders will venture away from home to square off against the Highland Hawks at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Cibola is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 25-5 margin over Kofa on Thursday. The win was nothing new for the Raiders as they're now sitting on three straight.
Eliana Corea was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Cibola got a massive performance out of Cameron Kasid, who went 3-for-5 with three runs, four RBI, and one double. That's the most hits Kasid has posted since back in March. Arianny Villaneda also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Cibola always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .636. They are a perfect 12-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Highland made easy work of Gilbert on Thursday and carried off an 11-1 victory. The Hawks haven't had any issues with the Tigers recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.
Alena Mascarenas was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Layla Napoli was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Cibola's record now sits at 16-10-1. As for Highland, their record is now 19-8.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Cibola has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .507. However, it's not like Highland struggles in that department as they've averaged .486. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cibola suffered a grim 9-0 defeat to Highland when the teams last played back in March of 2025. Can the Raiders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
