NBC 11 Sports: Lady Vikings clinch back-to-back IVL titles, Southwest keeps league title hopes alive & Cardinals Caravan in Yuma
YUMA, Ariz., (KYMA, KECY) - With the regular season on the diamond in its final week in the Imperial Valley, three of the four leagues between baseball and softball are now settled.
After Holtville baseball and Imperial softball wrapped up their respective leagues over a week ago with perfect records, Tuesday was the Holtville Lady Vikings turn to cash in on a second league title.
In a speedy, pitcher's duel affair, Kalli Strahm once again lit up the circle with 10 strikeouts and only allowing three hits and no earned runs in the 2-1 win to win the IVL.
Meanwhile, over in El Centro, Southwest baseball took care of business after allowing Imperial to open the scoring in the top of the 1st inning - winning 8-2 and bringing their battle with Brawley down to the final game on Thursday.
Brawley and Calexico's game was postponed to Wednesday due to the severe wind in the area - leaving each team with two games to go against each other. In the chance that Calexico would beat Brawley in each of the last two games and Southwest loses to Imperial in the finale, there would be a three way-tie atop the league to share the title.
A Southwest win and one Brawley loss would create a share of the title between the Eagles and the Wildcats. Two wins for Brawley would be an outright league title for them by the end of Thursday.
On the Arizona side of the diamond, it's already playoff time - and heading into Tuesday the only two Yuma teams remaining each hailed from Yuma Catholic. Now just one stands heading into Thursday.
Shamrock baseball got off to a good start in the first game of a best of three series with top seeded Valley Christian, winning 5-4 to take the series lead. A win Thursday would send them to the state title game next Monday, where a loss would set up a deciding game three on Saturday.
On the softball diamond though, the Lady Shamrock's season came to a close in Tucson with a 9-1 loss to Empire in the 3A semifinals. The loss leaves the Rocks one game short of the state title game in a season where they walked away with 26 wins.
And the campus of Arizona Western was popping on Tuesday evening - featuring a sea of red and black as the Cardinals Fan Caravan made an appearance for the first time in several years. Fans lined up in waves to see some Arizona Cardinals legends, cheerleaders and their favorite mascot. Everyone who attended was given Cardinals merchandise and allowed pictures and signed autographs, along with a ton of games and activities.
