Baseball Recap: Independence Puts Losing Streak Behind Them

There's no place like home for Independence, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Bakersfield Drillers on Monday, sneaking past 7-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Falcons have posted since March 11th.

Jace Gillenwater

Base on Balls Against

03/31/25 @ Liberty	4
04/21/25 @ Highland	3
03/25/25 @ Garces Memorial	2
05/05/25 vs Bakersfield	1
04/07/25 vs Ridgeview	1
+ 2 more games

Jace Gillenwater made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He pitched 5.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Independence is 5-2 when he allows at most one walk, but 9-10 otherwise. Gillenwater was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with three RBI.

In other batting news, David Baralt Portillo was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with six stolen bases and two runs. He has become a key player for Independence: the team is undefeated when he posts at least three hits, but 10-12 otherwise. Kaiden Godfrey was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Independence hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.

The win snapped Independence's losing streak at four games and leaves them with a 14-12 record. As for Bakersfield, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost 17 of their last 18 contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-23-1 record this season.

Independence will have a chance to go back-to-back against Bakersfield: the pair's next game is a rematch scheduled at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.