Victoria, TX – February 14-15, 2025 – Southwest faced a tough test against Houston-Victoria, dropping all three games in a conference series. Despite strong individual performances and a late-game surge in Game 2, the Mustangs couldn't overcome Houston-Victoria's dominant pitching and timely hitting.

Game 1: Houston-Victoria Shuts Out Southwest, 4-0

• Final Score: Houston-Victoria 4, Southwest 0
• Southwest Offensive Struggles: The Mustangs managed just 2 hits and were shut out over seven innings.
• Pitching Performance: M. Olivas went 6.0 innings, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits, with 1 strikeout and 3 walks​.
• Key Stat: Southwest hitters struck out 8 times, struggling to make solid contact against Houston-Victoria's ace.

Game 2: Southwest's Late Rally Falls Short in 6-5 Loss

• Final Score: Houston-Victoria 6, Southwest 5
• Southwest's Late Rally: Down 6-0 entering the eighth inning, the Mustangs put up 4 runs in the eighth and 1 in the ninth but couldn't complete the comeback.
• Offensive Leaders:
  • J. Trujillo hit a pinch-hit home run.
  • A. Montiel added a 2-run double​.
• Pitching Battle: J. Martin started for Southwest, going 5.0 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits, and striking out 2.
• Key Stat: Despite outhitting Houston-Victoria 8 to 7, Southwest left 8 runners on base, missing opportunities to capitalize.

Game 3: Mustangs Held Scoreless in Series Finale, 7-0

• Final Score: Houston-Victoria 7, Southwest 0
• Offensive Woes Continue: The Mustangs collected just 4 hits and struck out 9 times.
• Defensive Miscues: Southwest committed 1 error, allowing extra opportunities for Houston-Victoria to extend their lead.
• Pitching Performance: K. Carpio battled through 5.2 innings, giving up 4 runs on 9 hits while striking out 6​.

Coach's Take

Following the sweep, Southwest's head coach Steve Appel was candid about the team's performance:

"We just didn't play our style of baseball all weekend. I thought our arms kept us in position to compete all weekend, we just didn't get the production from the offense like we'd hoped. We didn't execute the small things and made some bad errors in timely spots, and you just cannot afford to do that against good teams and especially on the road. They capitalized on all our mistakes and we had to try and play catch up all weekend."

"We have another tough test next weekend and we are home. Hopefully, that allows us to reset our mental side and allow ourselves to get back to playing 'Southwest' style of baseball."