Hayden came out on top against Patagonia on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run first inning. Hayden blew past Patagonia 11-1. Hayden might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by seven runs or more this season.
Darren Smith
| 03/03/26 vs Miami | 3 |
| 03/06/26 vs Ray | 2 |
| 03/24/26 vs Patagonia | 1 |
Darren Smith made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He is becoming a predictor of Hayden's success: when he allows at most three hits the team is undefeated (and 2-4 when he doesn't). Smith was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Jonah Lopez looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Marcos Oropeza, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. Another player making a difference was Tyler Garner, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Hayden always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .613. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Hayden is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Patagonia, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 4-3.
Coming up, Hayden will square off against San Manuel at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Patagonia, they will take on Valley Union at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The Blue Devils have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 9.71 runs per game on average), something the Lobos will no doubt try to take advantage of.
