The Twentynine Palms Wildcats will head out to take on the Rubidoux Falcons at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Twentynine Palms is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games dating back to last season.
Twentynine Palms is headed into the match having just posted their biggest win since March 13, 2024 on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Desert Christian Academy with a sharp 10-1 victory. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Anthony Gabriel was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Jandell Jiminez, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.
Twentynine Palms always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .559. The last time their OBP was this high was back in February of 2024.
Meanwhile, Rubidoux can bid farewell to their 16-game losing streak dating back to last season thanks to their game on Thursday. They came out on top against Indian Springs by a score of 15-10. Considering the Falcons' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Alex Jimenez made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched 5.2 innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Jimenez was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. Those runs marked the first that he scored this season.
In other batting news, Rubidoux let Jacob Navarette and Emilio Jimenez run wild. Navarette scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances, while Jimenez scored a run and stole five bases while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance also gave Jimenez a new career-high in RBI (two). Carlos Encinas also deserves some recognition as he scored his first runs of the season.
Twentynine Palms' record now sits at 3-0. As for Rubidoux, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Twentynine Palms has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Rubidoux struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
