Softball Recap: Merced Snags 16th Victory in Last 18 Games

Merced proved they can win big on Saturday (they won by eight) and on Saturday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 victory over the Inderkum Tigers. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bears have posted since March 6th.

Haiden Priddell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits.

On the hitting side, Merced saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Antonia Lejarde, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Eliana Uriostegui also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.

Merced is on a roll lately: they've won 16 of their last 18 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 20-4-1 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.6 runs over those games. As for Inderkum, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 13-12-1 record this season.

Merced will venture away from home to take on Buhach Colony at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Thunder have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 8.29 runs per game on average), something the Bears will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Inderkum, they have already played their next game, a 14-2 win against Rio Americano on the 28th.