Baseball Recap: Imperial Comes Up Short

Imperial was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 6-5 heartbreaker at the hands of the La Jolla Vikings. The Tigers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Vikings apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in March of 2024.

Imperial got a good showing from Bruno Hernandez, who didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Hernandez has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.

Logan Higginbotham

Runs

03/27/25 @ Palo Verde Valley	3
04/03/25 @ La Jolla	2
03/25/25 vs Palo Verde Valley	2
03/21/25 @ Calexico	2
02/22/25 vs Coachella Valley	2
+ 4 more games

On the hitting side, Logan Higginbotham was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4. Imperial is 4-1 when Higginbotham posts two or more runs, but 5-6 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Ares Velarde, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.

Imperial suffered their first road defeat, dropping their record down to 9-7. As for La Jolla, their win bumped their record up to 7-8.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Imperial will venture away from home to challenge Clairemont at 4:00 p.m. on the 11th. As for La Jolla, they will head out to face off against Mission Bay at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.