Softball Preview: Yuma Catholic Shamrocks vs. Imperial Tigers
Yuma Catholic is 0-3 against Imperial since February of 2020 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Yuma Catholic Shamrocks will head out on the road to face off against the Imperial Tigers at 6:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Yuma Catholic came tearing into Thursday's match with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Broncs 14-1.
Yuma Catholic let Kassandra Reynoso and Adayah Carrillo loose on the outfield. Reynoso went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles, while Carrillo went 2-for-3 with three runs, a triple, and a double. Another player making a difference was Alondra Cordova, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Imperial entered their tilt with Central with five consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with six. They never let the Spartans onto the board and left with an 11-0 win last Tuesday.
Madeleine Magdelano and Jayden Rutledge were a major factor no matter where they played. On the mound, Magdelano didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Rutledge struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Magdelano has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. At the plate, Magdelano scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4, while Rutledge scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Addison Clark, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now stolen at least one in the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Hannah Johnson, who scored two runs while going 1-for-4.
Yuma Catholic's victory was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 20-2-1. They've been dominating during the contests in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 11.8 runs. As for Imperial, they are on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 13-2-1 record this season.
Both Yuma Catholic and Imperial just can't seem to miss. Yuma Catholic has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.3 hits per game. However, it's not like Imperial struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.7. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Yuma Catholic came up short against Imperial when the teams last played back in April of 2023, falling 6-2. Can Yuma Catholic avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
