The Aztec Tigers will square off against the Bloomfield Bobcats at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Aztec is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Kirtland Central just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Thursday. They took an 8-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Broncos.
Dalton Wilmer put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and six unearned) runs off eight hits. That's the fewest earned runs he has allowed since back in March. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Kale Watson
| 04/24/25 vs Kirtland Central | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Shiprock | 2 |
| 02/28/25 @ Valencia | 2 |
| 02/27/25 vs Silver | 2 |
| 04/22/25 vs Gallup | 1 |
| + 10 more games |
Wilmer wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Kale Watson, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Watson is becoming a predictor of Aztec's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 3-1 (and 8-13 when he doesn't).
Meanwhile, Bloomfield earned an 11-7 win over Miyamura on Thursday. The victory continues a trend for the Bobcats in their matchups with the Patriots: they've now won five in a row.
Elias Munoz looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Bloomfield got a massive performance out of Gavin Pecotte, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those five hits gave Pecotte a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Trae Woods, who went 3-for-5 with three stolen bases, three RBI, and one run.
Bloomfield was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .447. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Miyamura only posted a batting average of .267.
Bloomfield's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 19-5. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.8 runs over those games. As for Aztec, their loss dropped their record down to 11-14.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Aztec has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bloomfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Aztec skirted past Bloomfield 1-0 in their previous matchup on Saturday. Do the Tigers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bobcats turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
