The Los Banos Tigers will head out to square off against the Merced Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Los Banos' pitching crew has only allowed 4.1 runs per game this season, so Merced's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
It was a proper cat-fight when Los Banos took on Golden Valley on Thursday. Los Banos wound up with the same score they had in their last game (6-5), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time.
Mya Arista
| 03/20/25 vs Golden Valley | 9 |
| 03/18/25 @ El Capitan | 5 |
| 03/11/25 @ Atwater | 5 |
| 03/04/25 @ Chowchilla | 4 |
| 02/27/25 @ Dos Palos | 4 |
Mya Arista was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits (and not a single walk). Those nine strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played.
In other batting news, Avery Vierra made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one triple and one stolen base. Shayla Hernandez was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Merced put their dominant pitcher on display in the team's third consecutive shutout on Friday. They put the hurt on Buhach Colony with a sharp 11-0 victory. That 11 run margin sets a new team best for the Bears this season.
Like Los Banos, Merced also got a great game from a two-way player: Annalise Ramirez. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Ramirez was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Ava Waldron was excellent, going 2-for-3 with four RBI. Another player making a difference was Antonia Lejarde, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Merced always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .548. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Merced has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-2-1 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. Los Banos' defeat dropped their record down to 6-5.
