Softball Recap: Merced's Run of 14 Straight Victories Now Over

Bears

Previous 5 Games

04/25/25 vs Notre Dame (SO)	0-13
04/17/25 vs Atwater	10-7
04/16/25 vs Golden Valley	9-0
04/10/25 @ Los Banos	13-5
04/09/25 @ Atwater	4-0

Merced dropped their record down to 18-3-1 on Friday, which also ended the team's 14-game streak of wins. They came up short against the Notre Dame (SO) Knights, falling 13-0. Considering the last time the Bears couldn't score was back in February, the team can't take the result too hard.

Merced saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Liliana Meneley, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base and one run.

As for Notre Dame (SO), the win was the third in a row for them, bringing their record up to 18-4. They might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 15 contests by six runs or more this season.

On Notre Dame (SO)'s side, Aliyah Garcia made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Garcia has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nadia Ledon, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Charley Tapia, who went 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.

Merced and Notre Dame (SO) should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps California Rankings. The Bears (ranked 178th) will meet Buhach Colony (ranked 757th) at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Notre Dame (SO) will square off against Sierra Canyon at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday with a big rank advantage (46 vs. 271).