Baseball Recap: Gridley Triumphs

After having lost a blowout in their previous game against San Luis Obispo, Gridley was happy to have turned things around on Saturday. They won by a run and slipped past the Merced Bears 12-11. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bulldogs have posted since May 2, 2025.

Eli Punzo made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, 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, Tanner Abbott and Legend Rossiter did most of the damage at the plate: 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. Those two RBI gave Rossiter a new career-high. Marcus Duncan was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.

Gridley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. They are 6-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.

The victory snapped Gridley's losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 9-6 record. As for Merced, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-15.

Looking ahead, Gridley will host Las Plumas at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Thunderbirds' pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so the Bulldogs' hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Merced, they will challenge Pitman at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.