Baseball Game Preview: Borrego Springs Rams vs. Calipatria Hornets

Borrego Springs is 1-9 against Calipatria since May of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Rams will head out to square off against the Hornets at 3:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

On Friday, Borrego Springs was able to grind out a solid win over St. Joseph Academy, taking the game 10-6. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Rams.

For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Calipatria and Borrego Springs meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again last Tuesday. The Hornets put the hurt on the Rams with a sharp 11-3 victory. The result was nothing new for the Hornets, who have now won three contests by eight runs or more so far this season.

Juan Perez made a splash while hitting and pitching. He struck out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Those 11 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. He is becoming a predictor of Calipatria's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 1-2 when he doesn't).

In other batting news, Izaak Uribe was excellent, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Brandon Espinoza, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.

Calipatria's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Borrego Springs, their win bumped their record up to 5-2.

Borrego Springs might still be hurting after the 11-3 defeat they got from Calipatria when the teams last played last Tuesday. Can the Rams avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.