vs
| 04/09/24 - Home | 10-7 W |
| 05/11/23 - Home | 11-1 W |
| 05/02/23 - Away | 14-0 W |
| 04/21/23 - Home | 8-7 W |
| 03/22/22 - Home | 2-3 L |
| + 5 more games |
Imperial and Southwest EC are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2019, but likely not for long. The Tigers will head out on the road to square off against the Eagles at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Imperial 2.6, Southwest EC 3.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Imperial is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering San Marcos just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of the Knights by a score of 9-8.
Hannah Johnson and Addison Clark stepped up to the plate in a big way. Johnson went 3-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI, while Clark scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Those doubles were Johnson's first of the season.
Meanwhile, Southwest EC entered their tilt with Holtville on Friday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They put the hurt on the Vikings with a sharp 19-1 victory. Considering the Eagles have won seven matches by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Alexis Trujillo and Nicole Verdugo were a major factor no matter where they played. Throwing, Trujillo struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Verdugo pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Trujillo has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. At bat, Trujillo scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-1, while Verdugo scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Kaydence Wiewel and Daniella Redona did most of the damage at the plate: Wiewel got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run, five RBI, and three runs, while Redona scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Those five RBI gave Wiewel a new career-high. Emilie Marquez was another key player, scoring three runs while going 3-for-4.
Southwest EC always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .658. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.
Southwest EC pushed their record up to 11-5 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Imperial, their loss dropped their record down to 15-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Imperial has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Southwest EC struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Imperial beat Southwest EC 10-7 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
