The Hoover Patriots will face off against the San Joaquin Memorial Panthers at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Hoover has three straight victories, San Joaquin Memorial has 22 straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Hoover made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Roosevelt, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Patriots were the clear victors by a 13-1 margin over the Rough Riders on Tuesday. Considering the Patriots have won four contests by more than seven runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Hazel Martinez
| 04/08/25 @ Roosevelt | 3 |
| 04/04/25 @ Fresno | 1 |
| 03/28/25 @ Sunnyside | 1 |
| 03/19/25 vs Sierra | 1 |
| 03/11/25 @ Mendota | 1 |
Hazel Martinez made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit (and only one walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Layla Jimenez, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Mya Del Rio, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Hoover lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, San Joaquin Memorial fell victim to Torres and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They came up short against the Toros, falling 30-0.
Hoover's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-5. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for San Joaquin Memorial, their loss dropped their record down to 0-8.
Hoover came out on top in a nail-biter against San Joaquin Memorial when the teams last played back in March of 2024, sneaking past 10-9. Will the Patriots repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
