The Cathedral City Lions will challenge the Rancho Mirage Rattlers at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Cathedral City is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against Desert Mirage on Monday as they made off with a 36-23 victory. The win continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the RAMS: they've now won nine in a row.
Sayuri Toledo made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over three innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in five of her six plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March of 2024.
Melanie Vargas
| 04/07/25 @ Desert Mirage | 6 |
| 03/17/25 vs Desert Mirage | 4 |
| 03/20/25 @ Desert Mirage | 3 |
| 04/16/24 @ Banning | 3 |
| 03/07/24 @ Desert Christian Academy | 3 |
In other batting news, Cathedral City got a massive performance out of Melanie Vargas, who scored six runs and stole two bases while getting on base in five of her seven plate appearances. Those six runs gave Vargas a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kirra Perez, who scored six runs while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances.
Cathedral City always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .679. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. The Rattlers blew past the Aztecs 17-2. That 15 run margin sets a new team best for the Rattlers this season.
Anelisa Garcia made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off eight hits (and not a single walk). Garcia was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That home run was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Reyna Vergara, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with three stolen bases, four runs, and four RBI. Jezell Espericueta was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Rancho Mirage now has a winning record of 8-7. As for Cathedral City, their victory bumped their record up to 5-11.
Rancho Mirage's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Cathedral City has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.4 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Rancho Mirage, though, as they've been averaging only 3.8 strikeouts. Will Cathedral City keep running through batters, or will the Rattlers buck the trend?
Cathedral City might still be hurting after the 13-3 loss they got from Rancho Mirage in their previous meeting on Wednesday. Will the Lions have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
