Softball Preview: Imperial Tigers vs. Academy of Our Lady of Peace Pilots
The Imperial Tigers will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Academy of Our Lady of Peace Pilots at 3:30 p.m. Both teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Imperial is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Brawley a 10-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for Imperial, who have now won 12 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Imperial let Mariana Pesqueira and Clarissa Davila loose on the outfield. Pesqueira went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two doubles, and a run, while Davila scored two runs while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Hannah Johnson, who scored two runs while going 3-for-3.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last game, Academy of Our Lady of Peace made sure to put some runs up on the board against Calexico Mission on Wednesday. Academy of Our Lady of Peace put the hurt on Calexico Mission with a sharp 12-0 victory. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest win Academy of Our Lady of Peace has managed all season.
Stefini Ma'Ake was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. Ma'ake has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive pitching appearances. Ma'ake was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alayna Ma'Ake, who scored a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Addy Tureson was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Imperial is on a roll lately: they've won 17 of their last 18 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 24-3-1 record this season. As for Academy of Our Lady of Peace, they now have a winning record of 11-10-1.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both team's pitchers. Imperial hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .340. However, it's not like Academy of Our Lady of Peace struggles in that department as they've averaged .322. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
