Palm Springs, Calif. – After splitting a Thursday doubleheader with the Inland Valley Buccaneers, the Palm Springs Power returned to their home crowd on Friday, defeating the Inland Valley Legends, 12-9.
The Power trailed early, entering the home half of the third inning trailing 2-0.
The Power offense was jumpstarted by a two-run double from left fielder Juni Rodriguez, who finished the game 1-3, with three runs batted in.
Though the Power lineup experienced early struggles against starting pitcher Gavin Smith, who did not allow a hit through the first two innings, they were able to knock him out of the game in the fourth inning.
The highlight hit for the Power, however, was a go-ahead three-run home run by Brett Williams in the 7th inning.
Smith finished with five earned runs across three innings pitched, walking six Power batters, while allowing three hits.
The Legends bullpen endured similar struggles, yielding an additional seven runs in the final five innings.
Taking the loss, though, was Jack Rudometkin, who allowed four earned runs across just 1.2 innings pitched.
On the contrary, the Power bullpen continued their dominant streak, allowing just two runs in the final 4.2 innings.
The night for starting pitcher Jimi Welsher, however, was not as fortunate. Across 4.1 innings, Welsher allowed 10 hits and seven earned runs.
An encouraging sign for the Power, though, was the continuity of stark defensive improvements seen over the past week.
The team committed zero errors Friday night, a trend that has become a welcomed sight after defensive disasters cost the Power a handful of games earlier this season.
The win also guaranteed the Power a CPCL playoff spot, and extended their lead in the CPCL standings to two games.
The win improves the Power’s conference record to 14-3, while the Legends dropped to 12-5.
The Power will once again square off with the Inland Valley Legends tomorrow at 7:00 PM, with stadium gates opening one hour before.
Following Saturday’s game, the Power and Legends will rest Sunday before squaring off in a doubleheader on Monday.
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Stay connected to all the Palm Springs Power action, even when you can’t make it to the stadium! Every gameday will be broadcast live on the official Palm Springs Power YouTube channel. Don’t miss a single pitch of the Power’s quest for their fourth consecutive championship!
The Palm Springs Power are a summer collegiate baseball team playing all home games at Palm Springs Stadium. The Power are a member of the California Premier Collegiate League and the league’s inaugural champions in 2023. Palm Springs has won eleven league championships in 21 seasons of playing baseball in the desert dating to 2004.
Stay up-to-date with the Palm Springs Power at palmspringspowerbaseball.com and by following the Power on Facebook, X,Instagram and Tik Tok.
Fans can buy tickets every gameday at the stadium box office. Palm Springs Stadium is located at 1901 E Baristo Road in Palm Springs.
For more information, visit pspbb.com or call (760) 778-4487.
