The Independence Falcons will face off against the Bakersfield Drillers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with four consecutive losses for Independence and six for Bakersfield.
It was a Battle of the Birds when Independence challenged Bakersfield Christian on Friday. The Falcons might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 10-4 to the Eagles, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior.
Independence got a good showing from Mathew Riggio, who tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, Independence saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was David Baralt Portillo, who went 2-for-4 with one run and one double. Eduardo Aguirre was another, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run.
Meanwhile, Bakersfield fell victim to Ridgeview and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They came up short against the Wolf Pack, falling 15-0.
Bakersfield's defeat dropped their record down to 2-22-1. As for Independence, their loss dropped their record down to 13-12.
Independence's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's match. The Falcons have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Bakersfield, though, as they've been averaging only 0.7 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Independence continue to outrun the ball?
Independence couldn't quite get it done against Bakersfield in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 as they fell 8-5. Can the Falcons avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
