Cibola is 9-1 against Atrisco Heritage Academy since March of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Cibola Cougars will be playing in front of their home fans against the Atrisco Heritage Academy Jaguars at 4:00 p.m. Cibola is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 12.8 runs per game this season.
Last Tuesday, Cibola faced Rio Rancho in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Cibola walked away with a 10-6 victory over Rio Rancho. The win made it back-to-back victories for Cibola.
Gabrielle Moncada was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits. Moncada was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Anna Barraza, who went 1-for-3 with a home run, three runs, and four RBI. Amaya Castille was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Atrisco Heritage Academy was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They fell just short of Sandia by a score of 6-5.
Atrisco Heritage Academy saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brooke Lopez, who scored a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Esseney Archuleta, who went 1-for-4 with a triple and two RBI.
Cibola is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 14-6 record this season. As for Atrisco Heritage Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-12.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both team's pitchers. Cibola hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .396. However, it's not like Atrisco Heritage Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .325. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cibola came out on top in a nail-biter against Atrisco Heritage Academy when the teams last played back in April of 2023, sneaking past 7-6. Does Cibola have another victory up their sleeve, or will Atrisco Heritage Academy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
