Tigers
| 03/12/26 @ Bishop's | 3 |
| 03/11/26 vs San Luis | 12 |
| 03/07/26 vs Hoover | 10 |
| 03/07/26 vs Somerton | 8 |
| 03/06/26 vs Cibola | 5 |
| + 3 more games |
The Imperial Tigers will square off against the Clairemont Chieftains at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Imperial is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.
Imperial is headed into the game having just suffered their biggest loss since May 2, 2025 on Thursday. They lost 9-3 to Bishop's. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Tigers' biggest loss of the season was also their lowest-scoring.
Ares Velarde made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. George Centeno also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Clairemont put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Valley Center a 10-0 shutout. Considering the Chieftains have won three matchups by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Jackson Cleary tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over 6.1 innings pitched. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
On the hitting side, Luis Murrieta was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Colton Daudet was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Clairemont kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Valley Center only managed three.
Imperial's defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 5-3. As for Clairemont, their win bumped their record up to 5-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Imperial has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Clairemont struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Imperial came out on top in a nail-biter against Clairemont in their previous meeting back in April of 2025, sneaking past 5-3. Do the Tigers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Chieftains turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
