The Dinuba Emperors will head out to take on the Mission Oak Hawks at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Dinuba's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so Mission Oak's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Dinuba fell victim to Tulare Union and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They fell just short of the Tribe by a score of 1-0. The matchup marked the first time this year in which the Emperors were not able to get on the board.
Neveah Garcia spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on five hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
Meanwhile, Mission Oak entered their tilt with Hanford on Wednesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They walked away with an 8-3 win over the Bullpups.
Mission Oak also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Maleena Martin gave up only one earned (and two unearned) runs on nine hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Masyn Robertson, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Emma Osborne, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Mission Oak kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in four consecutive games.
Dinuba's defeat ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 15-6. As for Mission Oak, they now have a winning record of 10-9-1.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Dinuba hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .354. However, it's not like Mission Oak struggles in that department as they've averaged .347. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Dinuba came up short against Mission Oak in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, falling 4-1. Can the Emperors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
