The Bernalillo Spartans will square off against the Valley Vikings at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Valley will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Bernalillo extended their winning streak to 11 on Tuesday. Everything went the Spartans' way against Albuquerque Academy as they made off with a 17-1 win.
Calandria Montoya was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over four innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Kylee Herrera was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was LeAndra Valencia, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs.
Bernalillo was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .579. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .308 or higher in 17 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Valley got themselves on the board against Del Norte on Tuesday, but Del Norte never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over the Knights.
Like Bernalillo, Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Allison Gallardo. She pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Gallardo was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with three RBI and one triple.
In other batting news, Liliana Roybal was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Riley Michel was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Valley now has a winning record of 12-11. As for Bernalillo, their victory bumped their record up to 17-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Bernalillo has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Bernalillo's way against Valley in their previous matchup two weeks ago, as Bernalillo made off with a 14-3 win. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Vikings have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
