The Valencia Jaguars will look to defend their home field on Tuesday against the Belen Eagles at 6:00 p.m. The timing isn't great for Valencia: they have been struggling with five straight losses at home, while Belen has snatched up seven consecutive wins on the road.
Valencia scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Thursday. They put the hurt on Highland with a sharp 18-4 win. Valencia's offense finally found a way to get into gear: the high-octane performance was a 180-degree turn from their last three games.
Miana Barron made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk). Barron has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive pitching appearances. Barron was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Leanne Lopez was a standout: she scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Samantha Lopez, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and a triple.
Meanwhile, Belen put the finishing touches on their 11th blowout victory of the season on Saturday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Albuquerque Academy a 16-0 shutout.
Valencia's victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 3-13. As for Belen, their win bumped their record up to 13-8.
Valencia came up short against Belen when the teams last played back in April of 2023, falling 5-2. Can Valencia avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
