The Dexter Demons will venture away from home to square off against the Ruidoso Warriors at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Dexter's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They didn't even let Sandia Prep on the board, marking the Demons' second-straight 15-0 shutout. The Demons haven't had any issues with the Sundevils recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Danyela Munoz made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Issabellah Aguilar, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. Hannah Sanders was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Dexter kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in 12 consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Ruidoso waltzed into their game on Monday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They blew past the Sundevils 7-1.
Jaya Trujillo spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up nine Ks.
At the plate, Ruidoso got a big performance out of Dustine Alvarado, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Baylor Pritchett, who went 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double.
Dexter pushed their record up to 21-2 with the win, which was their 18th straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.1 runs over those games. As for Ruidoso, their record is now 19-4.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Dexter hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .398. However, it's not like Ruidoso struggles in that department as they've averaged .483. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Dexter beat Ruidoso 10-6 when the teams last played back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Demons since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
