Exeter is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Friday. They will venture away from home to square off against the Immanuel Eagles at 6:30 p.m. Exeter's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Immanuel's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Exeter is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Sierra Pacific just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Tuesday. They fell just short of the Golden Bears by a score of 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Monarchs have suffered since April 30, 2024.

Chloe Sparrow
04/01/25 vs Sierra Pacific | 13 |
03/29/25 vs Strathmore | 14 |
03/29/25 vs Summit Charter Collegiate Academy | 14 |
03/25/25 @ Roosevelt | 9 |
03/22/25 @ Hoover | 16 |
Chloe Sparrow spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned runs on seven hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Kait Rios was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Lanie Uruchurtu, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Immanuel got themselves on the board against Washington Union on Wednesday, but Washington Union never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 12-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won five in a row.
Amanda Herrera was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Herrera was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 1-for-4. Those three runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Maritzah Cibrian, who scored a run while going 2-for-4. Addison Efird was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Immanuel was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .438. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Immanuel's record is now 9-3-2. As for Exeter, their loss dropped their record down to 8-4.
Exeter came up short against Immanuel in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 3-0. Can the Monarchs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.