Kirtland Central hasn't had much luck against Aztec recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Broncos will take on the Tigers at 1:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Kirtland Central is headed into the matchup having just suffered their closest loss since March 27th on Thursday. They fell just short of Gallup by a score of 12-10.
Tanisha Thomas stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Easton Myhers, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-5.
Meanwhile, Aztec entered their tilt with Miyamura on Thursday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They blew past the Patriots 15-1. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight contests by six runs or more this season.
Kamora Henry was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 4-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. Those four hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Cheyenne Yellow was a standout: she went a perfect 5-for-5 with three doubles, three RBI, and two runs. Those three doubles gave her a new career-high. Reagan Bradshaw was another key player, going 2-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
Aztec lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post two or more home runs.
Aztec's victory was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-10. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Kirtland Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-11.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Kirtland Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .495. However, it's not like Aztec struggles in that department as they've averaged .388. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Kirtland Central might still be hurting after the 18-8 loss they got from Aztec in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Can the Broncos avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
