Softball Game Preview: Dinuba Emperors vs. Tulare Western Mustangs

Dinuba is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Tulare Western is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Emperors will host the Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Dinuba is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.

Last Friday, Dinuba beat Hanford 5-1.

Neveah Garcia

Base on Balls Against

04/04/25 @ Hanford	1
03/27/25 @ Mt. Whitney	1
03/25/25 vs Golden West	1
03/21/25 @ Reedley	2
03/20/25 @ Selma	2
03/19/25 vs Washington Union	0

Neveah Garcia spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Kiley Gomez was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one triple. Another player making a difference was Samantha Ortega, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.

Meanwhile, Tulare Western hadn't done well against Mission Oak recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Mustangs came out on top against the Hawks by a score of 11-8. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Mustangs considering their two-run performance the game before.

Alivea Salcedo was a standout: she scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Angie Quirarte, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.

Tulare Western's win bumped their record up to 9-2-1. As for Dinuba, their victory bumped their record up to 10-4.

Tulare Western's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Wednesday. Dinuba has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Tulare Western, though, as they've been averaging only 2.5 strikeouts. Will Dinuba keep running through batters, or will the Mustangs buck the trend?

Dinuba suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Tulare Western in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Emperors avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.