Tigers rally for win
CALEXICO — For the past two seasons, the Imperial Valley League crown has come down to the two teams from Imperial and Calexico highs, with the Tigers nabbing back-toback crowns in 2015 and 2016.
While that remains to be seen for this season, the teams’ prior meetings have created an exciting rivalry, which spilled onto the diamond once again on Friday night.
Similar to a meeting from a few years ago, the game was decided in extra innings — eight instead of 14 like in 2015 — with the Tigers rallying for a 9-5 win.
“Our defense was a little shaky, but in the end, we made plays when we needed to,” said Tiger head coach Andrea Horton, who had just three returning starters take the field Friday night amid a mix of new faces and young talent.
Earning the win on the mound for Imperial was sophomore Anahi Grijalva, who threw the complete game and recorded two strikeouts.
“(Grijalva) did struggle a little bit, but she got that hit to get a rally going in the top of the eighth and I think that definitely gave her the confidence to push through in that last inning,” Horton said.
The Tigers had a 5-0 lead by the fourth inning, before the Bulldogs put up five runs of their own to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth with a rally that started with a Sahara Norman single.
The game remained tied until the top of the eighth inning, when Grijalva connected for a single on the first pitch she saw to ignite the Imperial dugout.
Grijalva eventually came around to score with an RBI single from freshman Olivia Davila, while Ariadna De La Trinidad and Julyannah Ramirez accounted for the rest of the Tigers’ four, extra-inning runs.
Horton said she was happy with Grijalva’s effort on the mound and grit to power through Calexico’s potent lineup, which connected for 11 hits to the Tigers’ 13.
“Every team in this league is a good-hitting team,” the head coach Horton said. “I think in the end it’ll come down to pitching and defense.”
Grijalva, who was a member of last year’s team and saw a bit of action throughout the year, said she mostly felt relieved when junior right fielder Alexis Retana came down with a fly ball in the bottom of the eighth to end the game.
“I just wanted to come out here and get the “W” for my team,” said the 16-year-old.
Grijalva credited one of the team’s few veterans with keeping her calm in the circle and at the plate in the later innings of the game.
“(Cassandra Valle) actually boosted my confidence to get that hit that started the rally and helped me feel strong on the mound at the end,” Grijalva said.
With the win, the Tigers improve to 2-0 in IVL and 3-5 overall, while Calexico moves to 1-1 in IVL and 4-2-1 overall.