Tulare Western had lost three straight at home, but on Friday they dropped their record down to 13-8-1 to make it four. They came up short against the Dinuba Emperors, falling 20-11. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Emperors this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 16-7 back in April.
Alivea Salcedo and Abby Babb did some serious damage despite the final result: Salcedo went a perfect 5-for-5 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base, while Babb went 3-for-5 with two triples, four RBI, and one run. Those triples marked the first that Babb has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Emily Leon, who went 3-for-5 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
As for Dinuba, with the victory, they broke their four-game losing streak and moved their record to 16-8. Their offense finally found a way to get into gear: the high-octane performance was a 180-degree turn from their last three games.
On Dinuba's side, Neveah Garcia spent all ten innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and six unearned) runs on 16 hits and racked up 14 Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Cambria Alderete, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while getting on base in seven of her eight plate appearances. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in hits (four). Kiley Gomez was another key player, going 4-for-7 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles.
Tulare Western has already played their next contest, a 14-3 loss against Hanford on the 7th. As for Dinuba, they also didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next matchup, a 5-3 win against Lemoore on the 7th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
