Del Norte is 0-10 against Bernalillo since April of 2019 but things could change on Tuesday. The Knights will square off against the Spartans at 3:00 p.m. Del Norte has given up an average of 14.9 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Del Norte is headed into Tuesday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their seventh straight game on Tuesday. They lost 13-3 to Hope Christian.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Bernalillo). They were the clear victors by a 21-3 margin over Hope Christian on Friday. Considering the Spartans have won eight contests by more than eight runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Calandria Montoya made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.1 strikeouts per game. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with four runs and two stolen bases. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Kylee Herrera and Bella Perez did most of the damage at the plate: Herrera got on base in all five of her plate appearances with one home run, five RBI, and three runs, while Perez went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two doubles. Herrera continues to improve, besting her previous run total in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Gabby Tafoya, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Bernalillo was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .594. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive games.
Bernalillo is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-10 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.6 runs over those games. As for Del Norte, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-19.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Del Norte has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Bernalillo struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Del Norte might still be hurting after the 19-1 loss they got from Bernalillo in their previous matchup on April 4th. Can the Knights avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
