Merced extended their losing streak to four on Saturday, dropping them down to 3-15. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 12-11 heartbreaker at the hands of the Gridley Bulldogs. Even if the Bears couldn't come away with the win, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their hitters, which had struggled int the games prior.
Merced got a massive performance out of Luis Pineda, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with four stolen bases, three runs, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Conner Vitelli, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
As for Gridley, the victory snapped their losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 9-6 record. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for they considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
On Gridley's side, Eli Punzo made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Punzo has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March of 2025.
In other batting news, Gridley let Tanner Abbott and Legend Rossiter run wild. Abbott got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Rossiter went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Abbott is becoming a predictor of Gridley's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 5-6 when he doesn't). Marcus Duncan was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Coming up, Merced will challenge Pitman at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. As for Gridley, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Las Plumas at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Bulldogs' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Thunderbirds have averaged an impressive 6.4 runs per game this season.
