Tigers fall to Wolves

IMPERIAL — The Imperial High baseball team suffered a stinging 1-0 loss to Classical Academy on Friday night in the CIF-San Diego Section Div. IV playoffs, forcing the Tigers to return to the diamond on Saturday morning.

As the tournament is double-elimination, the Tigers had one more opportunity to reach Tuesday’s semifinal game.

Yet in order to see action this week, the Tigers needed to get around Mission Vista one more time on Saturday morning here. The Tigers and the Wolves met in the first-round of the tourney on Wednesday, with the Tigers winning 5-0.

Saturday’s game was a bit different, however, as the visiting Wolves were able to come away with a 2-0 win, ending Imperial’s season.

Both teams put forth solid pitching and defense all game, yet timely and effective hitting in the final two innings gave the Wolves the victory.

The game was tied 0-0 in the bottom of the fifth, when Imperial got two runners on base with two outs.

The Tigers appeared to be on the verge of breaking open the game, before Diego Favila was picked off at first base for the third out of the inning.

Favila ultimately suffered an arm injury attempting to slide back into the bag and needed to be taken out of the game.

The injury took some wind out of Imperial’s sails and Mission Vista was able to get on the scoreboard in the following inning off an RBI single from Reggie Nieblas.

Tiger reliever Chris Lopez then struck-out the side to send the game into the bottom of the sixth.

Lopez then delivered a twoout double to give the Tigers a baserunner, yet was left stranded after a fly ball to right field ended the inning.

In the top of the seventh, Mission Vista recorded an insurance run off a RBI single from Andrew Tannler to give the Wolves a 2-0 advantage.

In its final at-bat of the game, Imperial saw Manny Rojas open with a stand-up double before Wolves closer Jacob Ewing worked to retire the next three batters on strikes and a groundout to second base.

The Tigers close the season with a respectable overall record of 16-9 and an Imperial Valley League record of 6-6.

The Tigers lose six players to graduation including Favila, Rojas, Aaron Grijalva, Brady Hodgkin, Gary Wild and Jonathan Reyes.

Imperial High’s German Rodriguez slides back into second base as Mission Vista’s Andrew Tannler awaits a throw during the teams’ CIF-San Diego Section playoff game.

Imperial High’s Jonathan Reyes delivers a pitch during the Tigers’ CIF-San Diego Section Div. IV playoff game against Mission Vista on Saturday.

Imperial High’s Kobby Lopez takes a pitch to the arm during the Tigers’ home game on Saturday. KARINA