Tularosa hasn't had much luck against New Mexico Military Institute recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Wildcats will square off against the Colts at 6:00 p.m. Tularosa is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.3 runs per game this season.
Tularosa will bounce into Monday's match after beating Texico, who they had gone 0-6 against in their six prior meetings. The Wildcats were the clear victors by an 18-8 margin over the Wolverines on Friday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Wildcats.
Danner Daugherty made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Hunter Sewell
| 04/25/25 @ Texico | 3 |
| 04/22/25 vs Dexter | 1 |
| 04/05/25 vs Hatch Valley | 1 |
| 04/02/25 @ Hatch Valley | 1 |
| 04/30/24 vs Lordsburg | 1 |
In other batting news, Hunter Sewell was a standout: he went 3-for-6 with six RBI, three doubles, and one stolen base. Those three doubles gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Samuel Kusmak, who got on base in all six of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.
Tularosa was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .389. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, New Mexico Military Institute had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9 runs) and they went ahead and made it seven on Thursday. They came out on top against the Timberwolves by a score of 6-3. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last six times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Like Tularosa, New Mexico Military Institute also got a great game from a two-way player: Javier Yepiz Galindo. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over six innings pitched. Yepiz Galindo was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Konstatino Scopelitis and Grant Maloney did most of the damage at the plate: Scopelitis went 1-for-3 with one home run, while Maloney went 2-for-3 with two runs and one triple. Nicolas Barcenas was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
New Mexico Military Institute's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-6. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.4 runs on average over those games. As for Tularosa, their record is now 13-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Tularosa has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like New Mexico Military Institute struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Tularosa suffered a grim 14-1 defeat to New Mexico Military Institute when the teams last played back in March of 2023. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
