The Rocklin Thunder will take on the Merced Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Rocklin 1.6, Merced 2.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Rocklin is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They came out on top against Atwater by a score of 7-2.
Payton Prior spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on six hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.
Addie Titlow
| 05/13/26 vs Atwater | 2 |
| 05/06/26 vs Whitney | 1 |
| 04/15/26 vs St. Francis | 1 |
| 03/27/26 @ Whitney | 1 |
| 03/18/26 @ Oak Ridge | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Addie Titlow, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Cat Alston was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs and one stolen base.
Rocklin hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in eight consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Merced had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.8 runs) and they went ahead and made it nine on Wednesday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 6-5 W against the Flames.
Merced also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Annalise Ramirez gave up five runs (all of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Merced saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Emma Ramirez, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base.
Rocklin's win bumped their record up to 20-5. As for Merced, their victory bumped their record up to 20-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Rocklin has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Merced struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
