Clayton hasn't had much luck against Raton recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Yellowjackets will square off against the Tigers at 5:00 p.m. Clayton is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.1 runs per game this season.
Clayton was handed a 18-run loss in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Tucumcari 11-10. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Yellowjackets considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
Max Leal
| 04/08/25 vs Tucumcari | 4 |
| 03/21/25 vs Penasco | 3 |
| 04/08/24 @ Mora | 3 |
| 03/28/25 vs Logan | 2 |
| 03/28/25 vs Logan | 2 |
The team relied heavily on Max Leal, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Deagan Maez, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Raton entered their tilt with Estancia on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They blew past the Bears 17-7. Considering the Tigers have won four contests by more than nine runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Azden Romero was incredible, going 3-for-5 with four runs, two triples, and one double. Raton is 4-1 when Romero posts two or more runs, but 1-7 otherwise. Santiago Castillo also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Raton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .625. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Clayton's record is now 6-4. As for Raton, their record now sits at 5-8.
Raton's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Clayton has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.2 hits per game. It's a different story for Raton, though, as they've been averaging 9.2 hits. Given Clayton's sizable advantage in that area, the Tigers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Clayton suffered a grim 20-9 defeat to Raton in their previous meeting back in March of 2023. Can the Yellowjackets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
