The Valencia Jaguars will take on the West Mesa Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
On Wednesday, it was close, but Valencia sidestepped Moriarty for a 5-3 win.
Brady Hoefler was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits (and not a single walk). The dominant performance also gave him a new career-low in walks (zero). He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one RBI.
Pryce Henry
| 03/19/25 vs Moriarty | 2 |
| 03/14/25 vs Taos | 2 |
| 03/08/25 vs Ruidoso | 2 |
| 03/07/25 @ Alamogordo | 2 |
| 03/14/25 vs Taos | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
In other batting news, Valencia let Ancel Rossell and Pryce Henry run wild. Rossell scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-4, while Henry scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-3. Henry also scored two runs, which is notable because Valencia is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 2-3 otherwise. Zaylon Zamora was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one RBI.
Valencia always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Moriarty only posted an OBP of .345.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for West Mesa, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Moriarty on Saturday, sneaking past 10-9. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Mustangs have posted since March 28, 2024.
Daniel Rodriguez and Matthew Rodriguez made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Rodriguez tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Matthew tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off six hits. Daniel has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, Rodriguez scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances, while Matthew went a perfect 3-for-3 with one RBI. The dominant performance gave Matthew a new career-high in hits.
In other batting news, Ayden Gonzales was a standout: he scored a run while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Jacob White, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
West Mesa's win bumped their record up to 5-6. As for Valencia, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
West Mesa's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Valencia has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for West Mesa, though, as they've been averaging only 3.7 strikeouts. Will Valencia keep running through batters, or will West Mesa buck the trend?
Everything went Valencia's way against West Mesa in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Valencia made off with a 19-12 victory. Does Valencia have another victory up their sleeve, or will West Mesa turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
