Softball Recap: Los Banos Comes Up Short

Los Banos extended their losing streak to three on Thursday, dropping their season record down to 7-10 in the process. They lost 13-5 to the Merced Bears. Unfortunately, that's the third time they've come up short against the Bears this season, with their most recent defeat being a 10-0 loss back in March.

Shayla Hernandez was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Hillary Morales, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

As for Merced, the victory (which was their 12th in a row) raised their record to 16-2-1. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games.

On Merced's side, Haiden Priddell made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits. Priddell has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Antonia Lejarde, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. Lillian Gallegos was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.

Los Banos didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, a 9-3 defeat against Atwater on the 15th. As for Merced, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next contest, a 9-0 victory against Golden Valley on the 16th.